The Time Shall Come
by mandymld
Summary: A boy appointed king of a wild land too young, a sheltered young girl life isn't what she believes. When things happen beyond our control, how do you let your guard down and learn to love? Sarah wishes Toby away, Jareth overacts and a small act of revenge by an outsider exposed secrets hidden. Will Jareth and Sarah find happiness in spite of themselves and their families.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: While I am nominally a writer of HP fiction and GH fiction, I have dabbled in other genres, when I first began writing HP fiction, I went looking for the name of the Goblin King. Search engine after search engine would send me to a photo of David Bowie as Jareth the king from the Labyrinth. At the time, I filed it away in my notes and forgot about it while eventually deciding to use the name most often mentioned in fanfics as kings of the goblins.

When David Bowie died last year, I remember pulling out the movie where he played the Goblin King, we had a few laughs regarding those infamous pants and his hair in the movie but the response from the girls I write for regarding the songs reminded me of why I had enjoyed his music once exposed to much of the older stuff, sorry but early 80s Bowie music wasn't as good. However, Underground, Dance Baby Dance and As the World Falls Down inspired some notes but not any real intent to write.

With the death of Alan Rickman, I found it hard to write HP as I have a loved Alan's skills as an actor and that voice which bleeds over to Snape. I have been when I have the spare time; going through my old thumb drives, trying to get back into the swing of writing and found some old notes that I had written from the few days between David and Alan's death.

I couldn't bring myself to erase them, but I also wasn't inspired to write them until I saw a YouTube video while looking for one of David's songs to use for a background to a chapter I was reworking in an old GH fiction, but low and behold, who was in the video, Gary Oldman, Sirius Black himself. I found myself distracted and reminded of the notes I had found and the need to write this came up.

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 **The Time Shall Come**

 **Chapter One: When you wish...**

The beautiful young boy sobbed as he lay in the large wood four poster bed with the blood red heavy silk curtains closed. He had never felt more lonely in his life than he did at this moment when most of his kind would consider the grandest day of his life. He had been appointed king of a great land, at such a young age. He had heard the whispers, had seen the envious grimaces as the men spoke among themselves, all being careful to only speak where the king of all or his queen couldn't hear them, of course.

The boy had heard though, had seen the scornful sideways glances and had felt the sting of the carelessly said words. He had seen the ambitious and speculative looks in the young women of his world turn to disappointed moues when their mothers would tug at their arms to keep them from speaking to the newly crowned king.

Turning over to lay on his back, he wiped the tears away with his arm sleeve and stared at the intricately carved nymphs on the tester of his new royal bed. Sighing as he tried to regain his composure and return to the ornate glass ballroom of his recently granted castle, he heard light footsteps and hastily climbed out of the bed and went to stand at the window, desperately attempting to appear as aloof as his High King did when dealing with unwanted intrusions.

"Jareth?" The young boy stiffened at the sound of the soft voice of the last person he wished to see him when he was feeling so down. "I know what is being said..."

"Is it true?" He asked, his tone of voice cold as he struggled to keep his writhing emotions hidden.

"Yes and no." She quietly replied as she moved to stand beside the boy and attempted to reach out to comfort him. When he shrugged her hands from the tops of his shoulders, she turned him around and saw what he was trying so hard to hide. "I did ask for you to be sent to this kingdom, but the rumors of why are very wrong."

"Is your husband, my father?" He asked losing his struggle with his still-maturing voice as it cracked on the word father unable to ask what he really wanted to know, was the High King his biological father.

"Jareth, in so far as that he raised you, yes, he is. However, look into your soul, the truth is there for you to see." She softly replied. Lifting his head, so that she could look him in the eyes, "Your magic is so strong, that is why you are being crowned, it is not a punishment or a banishment."

"You never loved me." Jareth felt the words leaving his mouth in spite of his wish to have never spoken them.

Her soft lilting laughter had the boy shuddering in pain and she quickly realized that he had thought she was making him fun of him. "Jareth, one day, the truth will be revealed to you. At that day, more than the truth regarding your past will be known. Just know, that you of more than anyone else in this kingdom or any other in the Underground have my respect and my wishes for a beautiful future than any other fae other than the man who raised you as a son."

The beautiful boy regained his composure, at least on the surface and at a sedate pace escorted the High queen back to the coronation celebration and using his magic created an outer shell of indifference and regal aloofness which is all he showed to those gathered.

When the last of the guests, including the High King and Queen, had left, the boy allowed his shoulders to slump. Walking back down the stone corridor to his quarters, he sank onto the bed and lay there, still awake as he tried to figure out what to do next.

* * *

Over the next three months, the boy trained with his courtiers whose job it was to prepare him to rule over the lands he had been granted. Those whose job it was to train him in the politics were amazed at how black and white he choose to see things, there would be no shades of gray in these newly granted lands.

"Whats said is said, what is done is done." He firmly replied when questioned by his advisers on denying the need to forgive trespass.

The young king walked out of the study and went to his afternoon lessons, the only ones he truly enjoyed. In the Labyrinth, the spirit came and surrounded the boy, then shaped itself into a visible creature and floated around the young king now seated on the bench in the middle of the hedge maze.

"How are you, your highness? Jareth?"

The boy knew that this wasn't a question about his health, physical or otherwise, but no, it was about his magic. All of his advisers only questioned him on his growing knowledge, never on his inner needs, that wasn't their job.

"Growing more powerful every day." He proudly replied as he showed his instructor his mastery of the crystals while inwardly wishing for someone, anyone to express an interest in him for some reason other than his position.

The spirit nodded sadly, knowing that for the boy, this meant the day was coming when he would no longer need her. All that was left was to help him find his animal spirit and she was almost certain that even if he hadn't admitted it to her, he had found out what it was.

By the time it was the first anniversary of his reign as King of the Southern Lands, Jareth had outgrown his political advisers who had returned to the High Kingdom full of warning of the young ruler's inflexible ideas of right and wrong. His economic advisers were full of praise for his financial astuteness not only of their world but like most kings he played around with the mortal markets.

The High queen had heard from the spirit of the Labyrinth how young Jareth had fulfilled his powerful and inventive abilities with magic and had spoken to her husband, her concerns brushed away as her being an overwrought woman.

When the next set of tutors spoke of his intelligence and deep thirst for knowledge, of the library that the boy was creating, there was a sense of pride. When that knowledge was put to practical use and the newly crowned king used his magic to create a garden which thrilled all five senses, when the castle keep was soon filled with art and fortified so that not even magic could breach it, the High King proudly pointed to it as proof that his choice of the boy as king had been correct.

The High king had heard the rumors of the fae women who paid visits to the kingdom and the pleasures that they wound find with the young king. While he wasn't happy to hear of the young king's promiscuity with the even married fae, he could understand the need for female companionship. It was only those rumors that kept him from worrying about the boy.

If only he had paid closer attention, he would have realized that that steady influx of visitors were slowly causing the young boy to grow colder and colder as he realized that while these women were more than willing to throw their bodies at him, to share sex with him, but they would never be willing to be seen at his court. To do so was now considered social suicide in the Underground for ambitious fae women.

Each visit left the young king more confused by their heated caresses which were followed by abrupt exits when he had fulfilled their fantasy of sleeping with him while the boy who had only given into their whispered requests and promises out of a need for companionship which was quickly denied. Each late night exit left the boy feeling like an outcast and as if he carried some sort of dreadful curse upon his very soul.

There was a blindness by the High King to the coldness, the sense of isolation growing in the young king so when he appeared before his sovereign to find out what his true role as King the older ruler never knew until it was too late to repair the damage he was about to inflict on the boy king.

"Your royal highness," Jareth said as he knelt before the king who might or might not be his biological father. "You summoned me."

"Jareth, rise." Once the overly pretty boy had done so, he ordered him to sit across from him. "As you know, each kingdom in my realm was created to support Underground as a whole. Now that you have completely ascended to your role as King it is time to inform you of your purpose."

"Thank you for choosing me," Jareth replied politely.

"When you were born, your astounding gift with magic, in effect, your natural talent with this ability was soon related to me by the midwife who delivered you." The High King stood and walked to the window, his eyes staring out over his kingdom, his back to the boy.

Jareth watched the High King, curious to know if he was about to hear the truth of his parentage, but instead, the High King turned around and said "That was the moment that I knew you must be raised in this castle. I watched over you, molded you in the hopes that you were the one I have been watching for over the last five millennium. You have proven yourself beyond anything I would have ever believed possible."

"Thank you, your majesty," Jareth replied a bit confused.

"As a reward for your skills, both learned and natural I have decided to appoint you to a long neglected position, that of Keeper of the Aboveground and all its wonders."

Seeing Jareth's confusion, the High King put a smile on his face and explained "As Keeper of the Aboveground you are responsible for the small gates that connect both worlds. You are Master of the Labyrinth, of mortal dreams and protector of the propagation of our realm."

"Your majesty, I am rather unclear as to what this means," Jareth replied having never run into a description of such a realm.

"Simply put, your job is to interact with mortals in any way required." The High King proudly announced. Seeing Jareth frowning and realizing he really didn't understand, he said "There are mortals who still believe in our world, who sometimes end up here. It is your decision as to where they end up. Here or aboveground. It is your job to decide if those who truly believe deserve to have their wishes granted or it they are being selfish. It is your job to bring the unwanted children who are wished away and choose their fates like I once did yours."

"Mine?" Jareth asked in a soft voice.

"Yes, I knew even when you were a child that you were meant to be a king. Now it is up to you, to decide the fates of others." Jareth was confused but nodded as the High King told him that he was to be granted three wishes to help him achieve his goals in spite of Jareth truly not sure how he was responsible for the propagation of their world. All knew that fae babies were few and far between, so how was he to fulfill that obligation?

He was still thinking things through when the King asked him "Who do you choose to rule over? Elves? Dwarfs? Trolls?"

Jareth listened as the High King extolled the virtues of all of the races in the Underground and found that he had no wish to rule any of them. When the King finished, Jareth said: "I will take those unwanted, those exiled by all other kingdoms into my realm, give them a place in my kingdom."

"Jareth, you may choose to do this, but you must choose a creature to rule over, it is a requirement of your position."

Jareth cynically couldn't help thinking how as it a wish if he was required to do so. After thinking on it for a few minutes, he realized there was one species he had not heard mentioned. One species that fit his earlier requirement, a species that most in his world disdained. Hiding his true thoughts he looked at the High King and said: "I wish to choose the goblins."

The High King looked taken back at the choice and with a slight frown asked. "Are you sure that you meant to say the Goblins, of all creatures?"

"Yes, I choose to rule over the goblins," Jareth replied in an even tone.

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather the elves or the dwarfs?" The High King was beyond puzzled why Jareth would choose to rule over the lowest of the low. The Goblins were so low that they weren't even offered up as subject to any previous King who had come before.

"No, I have made my choice." Jareth replied then said, "What is said is said."

"Fine, but I think you will come to regret this choice." With that, the King handed Jareth the book of Goblins which automatically connected the large city of Goblins to his lands. "Jareth, think before making the next wish. You must choose them before your wedding."

"My what?" Jareth asked, his voice cracking at the unexpected news. "You have chosen a bride for me?"

The High King chuckled and waved off the intense fear coming from the boy. "Jareth, relax my boy. No, as King it is your choice who you wed. As far as I am aware the seer hasn't seen a bride for you for many, many years."

The teenager relaxed even as a small part of him felt regret because a bride would be someone to talk to, someone to play with and someone who would always be there for him.

"I vow, your majesty, to uphold my responsibilities to the Underground with honor and faithfulness," Jareth replied before he exited the throne room.

As the young king soon gained respect by those who he ruled by law and those who choose to accept his rule by moving to his kingdom, he found himself growing more and more cynical as his own people paid fewer and few visits to his kingdom. He began refusing all invitations to court unless he had to be there for unavoidable functions. After each visit, he grew more and more determined to find excuses to stay away.

The years passed and Jareth had begun to truly understand his job in the propagation of the species as he brought the wished away children to his kingdom. Most wishers choose to take their dreams and abandon their children to him. Few willingly took the option of the challenge of the labyrinth.

Watching as the children were first wished away by those whose job it was to love them, then as they found homes where they were loved and cherished, had the young king growing weary at the pain the children often suffered before coming to his world and lacking compassion towards those who wished them away until his black and white, right or wrong views had him giving fewer the option of their dreams and forcing more to run the maze, where failure was the only option.

When the caregivers would lose, Jareth would then choose a family from those who had petitioned for children. In the meantime the children would spend a week in his castle, giving Jareth a taste of what had long been a secret dream of his, a family of his own, one who would never leave, one who would love him in spite of his crown.

As time passed, loneliness grew and the young king withdrew even more from the High Kingdom. It was soon half a millennia and the High Queen and her husband were gathered in the throne room as the yearly courts gathered.

When Jareth appeared looking regal but unapproachable, sat in on the required meetings and then disappeared midway through the last day, the High King demanded an audience with his wayward subject. "You should not have left."

The handsome blond man looked at his king and said "A child was wished away. In this century as you are well aware, that is a rare event."

"The outcome?" The High King inquired as if there was any doubt. There had not been a successful runner the entire time Jareth had been king and many had been forced to attempt it.

"The child will remain and become one of us," Jareth replied. "I will be looking at the petitions the minute I am free to return to choose a family."

"Jareth, your dedication to your kingdom and your duty have been well noted, but your lack of time at court and of a bride have also been noted." The High King left that it was his wife who had noticed the lack of a wife and he who had noted the lack of time at court. His subjects out of fear of the powerful magic that Jareth had at his disposal rarely criticized the still young king.

"You once told me that I could choose a wife on my own schedule, was this not true?" Jareth challenged his king in spite of the inherent dangers in doing so.

"Jareth, it still remains your choice of who and when. I am just concerned." The High king tried to connect to the man most called the Goblin King in spite of his rightful title being King of the Southern Lands.

"I am fulfilling my duties as your subject if you are unpleased..." The strange wording had the High King looking quizzically at the blond. "If not, I will return to my castle to begin going through the petitions."

"Jareth..." The High King looked at the boy, thought to himself how the rumors had ended, how Jareth refused all visitors to his kingdom except those whom he had to meet on official business. How even the late night visits from the women of the fae had seemed to come to an end. He had heard the bitter and sharp statements about how Jareth had been insultingly honest with the unfaithful wives or deceiving maids regarding their morals.

"Your majesty." Jareth bowed and exited, quickly using magic to return to where he felt wanted and needed by his subjects, if alone in a room full of others.

The High King let out a troubled sigh and looking at his wife who had been watching him speaking to Jareth with a worried expression on her face, gave a slight shake of the head to let her know that he had not succeeded in his quest to speak to the powerful young fae.

In the castle near the goblin city, the five hundred and fifteen-year-old king lay back on his bed, tears no longer fell when he thought about his life, instead, there was a resigned acceptance that this, this life he leads was to be his lot in life.

Still, the heart that was wrapped up in cold unbreakable diamond-hard crystal couldn't help quietly wishing for what it still dreamed of. A family, a life where those in it, never left. Where he was wanted for who he was and not what he had or could do for others. The mind was hardened, but the soul was crying out for its mate. The young boy had once truly believed that his other half existed, of course, that was a time when he had believed himself the beloved adopted son of the childless High King and Queen.

Time had slowly eroded his belief in love, at least in regards to a chance that someone could love him, cold rationality had taken over but that soul, that part that gave him his ability to perform some very powerful magic knew that when the time came, the right person would come along and help to fill the emptiness that existed in his heart.

Of, she wouldn't do it by herself, because no one person, no matter how well intended or full of love could achieve such a task, but she would teach him that love wasn't about pain, that love was about opening your heart to others around you. That it was about taking a leap of faith and finding what you truly needed to be happy.

Still, that lonely man lay back on his bed, looked around and quietly and unknowingly said out loud "I wish... I wish I could find someone to love me for me."

Falling asleep, still wearing his court clothes, the Goblin king never saw the bright silver strand of magic floating away from his lips and towards the open window nearby.

He never saw it float towards the hidden spirit who was part of the Labyrinth, he never heard her giggle and then gather the small strand of magic into a crystal and sent it towards the Aboveground. The spirit and others of their world had long awaited this wish, had known that the one the Goblin king wished for would only be created when his heart was ready for her to exist. It was finally time, oh, it would take years for the wished for to join them, but the goblin queen was finally going to be born.

To Be Continued


	2. Chapter 2: Be Careful What you Wish For

Chapter TWO: Be Careful What You Wish For

Aboveground a beautiful dark haired woman was wishing for an excuse to turn down a chance to be the understudy to the lead for a play on Broadway. To Linda that she wasn't chosen for the lead role was a mistake that should not have been made and there was no way she was playing second fiddle to a washed up has been like Tara Thompson.

As she sat across from an old college friend, Robert Williams at one of the more exclusive restaurants in town, she heard her name being called and after having to listen to her play's producer talk about her getting her turn, next year, struggled not to snap that it should have been her turn this time.

That evening, she seduced the handsome upcoming lawyer with a big firm that often handed entertainment contracts and had no idea that her wish was being answered. Yes, she wouldn't have to play second fiddle to Tara Thompson, instead, she would be playing a whole new role.

A month later after she fainted on set and to her horror found out she was pregnant and that that big mouthed Tara Thompson had told everyone in the theater, she smiled and giving the finest acting job of her life accepted her boyfriend's proposal thinking that at least with Robert around and working with people in the entertainment industry, surely that could only benefit her.

Too bad that Robert felt differently, upon finding out he was to be a father, he transferred from the firm's entertainment division to it's insurance division which paid it's attorneys more and was headquartered in Connecticut. He soon had his reluctant pregnant new bride living in a large house in a moderately wealthy town preparing for the birth of their child. While Linda wished to complain, she had no one else in her life to take care of her.

Her parents were dead and due to the public nature of the announcement of her pregnancy other options had been closed to her. So there she was, at the end of the year, already a nothing, a has been in the world she craved to be a star. So being pragmatic, Linda accepted that Robert was her future and that the baby she was carrying would be the child who she would turn into a star instead, after all with her genes surely her baby could not be anything but beautiful.

Sarah was born in December and Linda found it difficult to look upon her child. Sarah was born red-faced and squishy-eyed, a baby who cried, ate and needed her diaper changed which was more than Linda had signed on for. Still, she persevered, tried to accept her lot in life as the mother of a future star, not the star itself...

July came and Linda escorted her seven-month-old daughter to the park and began to realize that Sarah was slowly becoming the beautiful child she had been expecting and she proudly accepted all the compliments from complete strangers as she pushed the stroller. Sarah turned a year old and Linda was still basking in the praise heaped on her daughter, then the call came.

Tara Thompson was moving to Los Angles and a role she had auditioned for needed a certain body type, one that Linda fulfilled. Hiring a babysitter, the still stage-struck woman rushed off one week before Christmas to audition for the most successful producer on Broadway...

Sarah lay in her playpen, her eyes looking around for the woman who spent all of her time talking to her in funny words. Frowning a bit, the one-year-old, recalled that the woman had tried to get her to say mommy a lot and wanting her attention, Sarah struggled but said "Mamamama."

The babysitter, an elderly neighbor was in the living room watching her daily programs, paying no attention to the young child she had laid down for a hopefully long afternoon nap.

When the baby kept repeating mama ma mama but no lady appeared, she went quiet, her eyes widening as tears fell. Wiping away her tears, she looked around the soft place she spent much time in and saw the soft cuddly toy that the man who she knew as dada had given her.

Reaching out, she grasped hold of it and yanked it close to her. Rubbing her face against it and wishing even if she didn't understand the concept of wishing for comfort so that she could sleep, Sarah Williams never noticed that she was no longer in her playpen...neither did the babysitter.

* * *

In the castle by the Goblin city, Jareth was holding court in the throne room, watching as the little boy he had just brought back from Above played chase with the Goblins. To his surprise, the boy's mother had voluntarily run the Labyrinth but it was clear from her lack of skill that she would not make it that she was doing so because she felt she had to not because she truly wanted her child back, now he just had to wait until the thirteenth hour and offer her her dreams.

There was a sudden end to all noise and Jareth looked around to see that the Goblins had frozen still and the young toddler was squealing and trying to get to the small round baby pit at the center of the throne room.

"Wheres, she comes from?"

"Whos dat?"

"Shes aint ones of us, did Kingly do this?"

Jareth heard the goblins cackling and starting to speak as his eyes took in the unexpected baby in the small round baby pit. "Which one of you stole this child?"

After a loud and unanimous chorus of not ayes, the goblins fled the throne room and Jareth was left with the two children. Hearing the clock announcing that it was the thirteenth hour, he looked between the wide away two-year-old and the sleeping baby girl.

"Let's deal with you first, Olaf." A quick visit to the errant mother, he watched as she quickly grasped a hold of the crystal and took the offer of her dreams and the ability to forget her child had ever existed. When she had left to return to her overly neat house that her young son had disturbed, Jareth called for a nanny goblin and sent young Olaf to be prepared for life among the fae before returning to the throne room.

The little girl, he was sure it was a girl, after all, she was wearing a frilly dress and tights along with strange looking shoes with bows on them and a matching bow in her hair. "Well, well, you aren't a wished away, there is no magic on you. So, who are you and how did you end up in my castle?"

The little girl who was now awake was staring at him, silently. Lifting her, he saw that she had some sort of stuffed toy in her grasp. Holding it aloft, he heard her giggling when he used magic to make it come alive. "So my precious, do you speak yet?"

Gurgles were her only answer as she would duck her head behind the stuffed bear then peek out around it at him then giggle before repeating her little game. "So, you want to play do you?"

Giggles were her only answer even as Jareth tried to figure out what was going on and how a mortal child who hadn't been wished away had ended up there. Just as he was beginning to think that he would have to go above, she tilted her head and grinning at him, handed him her bear then popped out of existence. As she faded, Jareth heard the distant sound of a man's voice calling out "Sarah."

Looking at the bear, it's ear rather bedraggled, he lifted his eyebrow and said: "Do you think you were really supposed to stay with me?"

The bear didn't answer but holding onto it as proof that this unexpected event had actually happened, the Goblin king shook his head and went to look through the adoption petitions to find young Olaf his forever home.

* * *

In Connecticut, Robert Williams was holding his daughter while listening to his wife's excuse as to why she had left their one-year-old with a woman who was suffering from dementia and was half deaf.

While he wished to argue with her regarding her reasoning that all was fine, after all, nothing bad had happened, he let it go, hoping to have a happy holiday celebration for their daughter's second winter holiday. When his wife told him about accepting an offer to spend Christmas at Lake George in New York for their family so that she could rehearse for a part, he had to bite his tongue again.

January came and Linda was slightly bitter as the producer told her that they had chosen another actress for the part. From the grapevine, she had heard that she had been passed over because they didn't think that a young mother was right for the part of a wizened prostitute.

When the actress who had gotten her part won a Tony award, Linda picked a fight with Robert and moved out of their bedroom. There were frequent arguments over the next few weeks but eventually, Linda had accepted that she had no choice but to stay after even being rejected for parts in commercials.

Later that spring, she was struggling to rehearse for a part in a play, community theater but it would help get her name back out there, she reasoned. When Sarah kept fussing, Linda sighed and deciding that the little girl was too much of a distraction, so she made up a fresh bottle of milk then laid Sarah down in her bed without thinking to raise the rails that kept the fifteen-month-old in it.

Sarah wasn't tired and didn't want any milk, she wanted to play and it clear that the mommy person was determined to make her take a nap which Sarah didn't want. Looking around and realizing that her favorite bear was still missing, she found it's brother and edged off the side of the bed, falling and hitting her head, blood flowing from the now open cut...

* * *

In the Underground, Jareth was in his study, reading one of his favorite books for the fifth time when he heard a disturbance outside his closed door. Eavesdropping on his gathered and frantic goblins, he heard them goading each other to be the one to tell him the news.

Finally annoyed, he yanked open the door and with a raised eyebrow demanded to know what was going on.

"Kingy, she's back." Called out the more sensible goblin while his mates all stepped back. "She is back."

"Who's back?" He inquired while his mind went through a list of people that would upset his subjects this much and who would dare come to his kingdom.

"She." The Goblin said pointing towards the throne room. "she just came back, quiet as you please but her head is wet and smells like iron."

Jareth was just about to order the Goblin away and return to his book when yet another goblin, this one wearing a pot on his head, rushed his way and shouted: "Wes didn't do it, I swears Kingy, Ayes only was watching, she dids this."

Looking at the goblin he had assigned to find the mortal girl who had appeared in his castle, the girl he thought was named Sarah and curtly asked. "She is back? How?"

Walking towards his throne room, listening to the Goblin speaking, he frowned when he arrived and the thick stink of iron filled the air. Moving to the little girl, he cursed when he saw the red blood flowing from the wound in her head.

Using magic to repair the damage, he ordered a goblin to find his healer then picked up Smee the goblin assigned to the girl and demanded to know what had happened and why he had not come to report to him before this.

Just as he was preparing to bog the wretched beast, Jareth heard a giggle and looked down to see that the little girl's eyes were wide open and that she was laughing at the antics of the goblins and himself.

"Smeeeeeeeeeees." She said grinning at the goblin, even if she didn't understand the goblin's origin, to her it was a creature that played games and ate the food she dropped on the floor.

"Goblin, how does she know your name?" Jareth's voice had gotten quiet which warned his subjects that he wasn't happy and an angry Jareth was not a good thing.

The Goblin was saved from having to speak by the arrival of the elf healer who checks the king's repair job and declared the patient well except for the bruise on her arm.

Jareth gently rolled up the sleeve on the frilly lace yellow dress that his young guest was wearing and saw the marks of fingerprints on Sarah's arm. The elf healed them then looked at Jareth and said: "Another wished away?"

"No, and that is part of the problem." He replied as he looked at the little girl wearing yet another fancy dress, hose, shoes and ribbons in her hair and grasping another bear, the twin to the one she had left before.

Dismissing the elf after reminding him to stay silent about his guest, Jareth looked for Smee and demanded answers. Hearing about Sarah, her father, and her mother, he frowned, knowing that if something didn't change soon, the young girl was likely to be wished away and he wasn't sure that that wouldn't be a good thing if the bruise was any indication.

When Sarah reached out for him, he couldn't help holding her and letting her play with his emblem that signaled his position as Goblin king. "How are you ending up here, young Sarah? Smee, if she returns to above, watch over her and report back to me nightly."

Before he could demand agreement, he once again heard the distant sound of someone calling out for Sarah and the little girl popping away yet again.

Smee popped out immediately afterward but when Jareth went to follow either the little girl or the goblin, he was unable to. Frowning, he returned to his study and placing the book he was reading on his desk, went to locate the book on the history of his lands.

Not finding anything by the time Smee returned, he listened as the goblin filled him in the history of Robert and Linda Williams. Their life with Sarah and how the mother had argued yet again with her husband after Sarah had fallen out of bed.

* * *

Robert had not been happy to find his daughter locked into her bedroom and unconscious on the floor with a pool of blood beside her. That Sarah only had a bump on her head and no cuts, according to Linda was proof that the little girl was fine, but Robert who was not a happily married man, not by a long shot went to his office still carrying his daughter to document this latest proof of maternal neglect.

The next few years, Linda who had found Robert's file toed the line, chaffing at the bit when she lost part after part as a result of being a mother and a wife. A few commercials here and there, a bit part on a soap opera and the guilty wife on an episode of Judge Wapner just enough of a tantalizing bite to keep her determined to be a star.

That those were the result of the casting couch didn't bother young Linda who as time went on found it more and more difficult to play the loving mother but she did at least attempt to earn the Emmy in that category.

Sarah meantime had found herself often alone in her room during the day where the funny little leathery creature brought some of his friends for her to play with. As time went on, small stuffed animals, in strange monster shapes joined her menagerie. Robert thought that they were coming from Linda and took them as a sign that all was right with his wife who believed he had bought them but she wasn't interested enough to ask.

By the time that Sarah was five, she had often disappeared to the Underground, where she played with her friend that made bright shiny glittery balls appear for her and who sang to her. When she returned home, she didn't remember the mysterious man, but she did remember learning her words in leather bound books and to count and do simple mathematics.

Robert who had been living in a fool's paradise had no idea that his world was about to crash and in a spectacular fashion when he suggested to his wife that they, Sarah and them go to New York City for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade the year that Sarah was to turn five. Thanks to her birthday falling past the acceptance date she wasn't starting school until the next year. The family was staying at the Carlyle hotel in the city and Linda was thrilled.

By the end of the week, things had turned sour as Linda spent more time networking with her old friends and returning to the hotel suite with liquor on her breath than she did with her husband and daughter. Still, she was happy when all of her hard work meant that she had been offered a part in a play by an up and coming award winning director produced by a well-known producer.

The small family spent Thanksgiving together but immediately after dinner, Robert told his wife he had to pay a visit to his boss. Linda was angry, she had promised her new director to join him and his boyfriend for a late dessert and nightcap and taking a child along would not be helpful.

Swearing Sarah to secrecy when Robert called to say that he had to stay at the house on Long Island, Linda locked her daughter inside the hotel room after getting her room service and a movie on the television.

Heading to her party, she never knew that there were goblins in the room with Sarah, playing and basically trashing the hotel room. When Sarah giggled and demanded that Smee play more games with her, he winked at the beautiful child whose aura he could see and told her to call for the Kingly.

Sarah looked around then said, "I can't leave the hotel room, Smee."

Smee looked at the hotel room then called out for the goblins who quickly cleaned up the room and then at Sarah before saying that they were going to play a new game called Hide and Seek.

Sarah giggled and when Smee left, remembered how she had tracked him down by thinking of where the Goblin was last time she had wanted to play and popped out of the hotel room to try to locate him.

Ending up in the throne room, she chased the chicken she found there and two hours later wound up in a dark corridor that she had never seen during her many visits to the castle. Hearing the sound of giggling, she grinned and followed it only to find a wood door in her way. Frowning at being denied her playmate, she knocked softly at first, then when she was not allowed in as normally as soon as she knocked it would magically open, kicked at it.

* * *

Jareth was not thrilled with his visitor but decided a little entertainment would work to keep him occupied this evening. As the fae woman who was married to a minor aristocrat giggled yet again, he inwardly sighed at the lack of serious thought in her head but found no problem with how she was leading him to the nearby bed.

Just as she was showing just how talented she was, which unfortunately wasn't saying much, he swore he heard a soft knock, but he knew that that wasn't possible. No creature in his kingdom was that polite to knock that softly, but turning back to the woman who now had his pants undone and was kneeling at his feet.

Her lips were on him when she pulled back frightened and tightening her grasp on his manhood at the sound of a loud thump against the wood door. "What was that?"

In spite of knowing it wasn't anyone with magic and more than likely just a chicken or a goblin chasing a chicken through the corridor, more than a bit bored with her supposed skill, he gave a wicked grin and said: "Are you sure your husband doesn't suspect you are here?"

She paled and her eyes went to the door with a panicked expression on her face. Her hands released him and she stepped back and said "Find out who is at the door, please, your highness. I can't be caught here, it just couldn't be borne."

Jareth gave her a slight sneer and said: "Maybe you should have thought of that before coming here and offering yourself up to me."

She stepped back so that her back was now almost to the wall and Jareth was considering tossing a crystal to return her to home, but more than bit annoyed at how she was acting the victim, so stripping her of her gown with magic, he flung open the door expecting in truth to find a goblin but saying. "Well good evening, my lord Fredrick. Were you looking for your feckless and unfaithful wife?"

The fae woman gasped in horror and shrieked out loud only to realize that her husband wasn't actually standing there. But instead, there was a small child who was glaring at Jareth then looking over at her, gasped then told Jareth, "That lady is being naughty, she forgot to put her clothes on."

Jareth who had been shocked to see young Sarah standing there, had hastily used magic to return his clothes to their normal state. "Well, Princess Sarah, how kind of you to grace us with your presence."

The little girl grinned at her older playmate and complained. "Smee ran away on me, I came to get him back."

Taking in the long white gown with blue ribbons and thick bunny slippers on her feet, plus the thick braid in the long dark hair, he said: "Did you escape your bedroom again?"

Sarah leaned in and whispered, "No, but it's a secret between Mommy and me. Your friend is still nakeds, though."

Jareth who had forgotten all about the naked fae standing behind him turned startled to see that Tasha had climbed into the bed and was rather obviously attempting to seduce him into joining her. "Get dressed, go home and you might want to consider that the reason your marriage is without children is your behavior."

Tasha glared and said, "Get rid of the baggage and I will provide you with a reason to fulfill my request."

"No, and in truth, you are providing me with even more reasons as to why to never hand a child over to you," Jareth said in a bored tone as he bent down to lift Sarah. Pretending to grunt at the weight of the child, he asked the young girl trying to distract her from the rather sullied sight of the fae woman. "Just how much are they feeding you now?"

Sarah giggled, this was a game that they often played. Touching Jareth's upper arms, she said: "Tossing goblins hasn't built up your arms strength yet, you need to toss more goblins into the bog, Kingly."

"Maybe I should practice by tossing you into the bog." He growled, a smile growing as she giggled and buried her head in his neck. "Okay, let's go find your goblin, I think it is time for little girls to go home and go to bed."

Pouting as she was carried down the corridor while Jareth gently remonstrated her for not being asleep when it was past midnight in the mortal lands, Sarah nor Jareth saw the calculating expression on the angry fae woman's face at being abandoned by the man she had been intending to use to get what she wanted for a mere child.

A mortal child at that if she was right and Tasha had no intention of letting the insult to herself go.

Jareth found Smee awaiting young Sarah in his usual hiding place and after watching the Goblin and the little girl talking about her adventure wandering his castle, he reluctantly suggested that Smee take Sarah home. He was still rather curious, normally by now, Sarah would be called for by her father or mother and would have returned but not tonight, so what was so different. "Smee return, once young Sarah is in bed."

* * *

Tasha hurried home, after coming up with a rather different version of why she had paid a visit to the Goblin King for her husband, one where she had begged and begged for a child from the Aboveground and had been mocked and denied, told her husband the news. "The worst part is, the selfish bastard has been keeping a mortal child, all for himself."

Fredrick, the rather obvious husband to the faithless Tasha gasped in shock at such a breach of protocol. "We must tell the High King."

"I doubt he will do anything, you know the rumors." She archly pointed out. "Maybe we should go a little higher, to the council so that he can't cover up the truth."

Fredrick wasn't so sure that was the best choice but was so besotted of his wife and despondent that it was his fault that they lacked the ability to conceive the much-desired child for his family gave into his wife's request.

* * *

An hour later, a request went out from the High Court to the Goblin Kingdom demanding his presence at the next council meeting and Jareth gritted his teeth as he paced back and forth in his throne room.

Smee had filled him on the latest with the Williams family and he was well aware that if he wished to protect young Sarah's heart from the mess her mother was making of her marriage, he needed to derail her current path, but alas he could not ignore a demand to attend the High Court.

To Be Continued


	3. Chapter 3: Actions Reactions

Chapter Three: Actions Force Reactions

Jareth stared in disbelief at the High King and then turned towards the King of the Western Lands. "Your daughter in law is a liar, kind sir."

After the crowd had stirred a bit, the man blustered and stated that Jareth knew that fae didn't lie.

"They twist the truth though, don't they." He sneered and turning to the High King, the man he had once believed to be his father and said "There was a mortal child in my realm last evening, but she was not a wished away. She is a true believer and has found her own path to our world."

There were shocked gasps as Jareth filled them in on young Sarah, leaving out only how deep his interest in her was. The delight in may of the fae's eyes had Jareth frowning, knowing that for childless fae, a believer who could be wished away was the ultimate wish when it came to the adoption of a child.

When asked if he thought she might be wished away, Jareth sighed and said "It is a remote possibility but doubtful. According to our rules, we cannot interfere and I will defend against such manipulation of her emotions."

Fredrick stood as his accuser and looking at Jareth felt sick as he realized the truth about his wife. He had not seen the young ruler in years and in his mind Jareth had been that small thin boy he had last known over five hundred years ago, the man, no king standing there was everything he wasn't.

"I release my charge." He said in a sickly tone as his eyes went to his father who nodded in agreement.

Fredrick was escorted out of the Courtroom, and when the others began to stand, Mueller the rather pedantic court scribe gave a small officious cough and said: "Your majesty, what about the girl?"

"The girl, she is none of our concern." The High King replied, looking a bit puzzled at the rather pugilistic look on the short squat man's face as he began to recite the oath he took before beginning his service to the court.

Once done, he looked at the High King and said. "Your majesty there are rules in cases such as these."

The High Queen looked at Mueller and asked what rules and what case.

"When a child such as this is found, there are three options. Firstly she is brought to the Underground immediately."

"No, Sarah would not do well if that were the choice." Jareth's rather impassioned and uncharacteristic outburst garnered much attention from the others in the room.

"The second option is to ban her from our lands which given her belief in it and potential would be a shame for all involved," Mueller replied with a nod towards those who remained so interested. "There is a chance that due to her strong beliefs in our world she would be thought touched in her world and would end up locked up."

"We can't allow that to happen." Jareth looked over in surprise at the sound of the rather ancient seer who stood and continued to speak. "This child has magic, natural magic."

"Is this true?" The High King asked Jareth.

"I have seen no magical signature but she has the ability to come and go as she pleases from my kingdom and to call the goblins to her." He admitted.

"That leaves only the last option," Mueller announced with a rather dry and priggish tone. "Her magic must be bound until she is considered of age and watched over only once a year until such a time as she can make her own choice of where to live. Her visits must be curtailed and no one is permitted, not even you, King of the Southern Lands or your subjects are allowed to manipulate her world."

Jareth was surprised at that decision but was sure that he as the Keeper of the Labyrinth and mortal dreams and gateways could find a way around it, so he nodded in acceptance.

"So be it, let it be known that until Sarah, true believer is of age, she is to be exiled to the lands above as of sunset this evening." Jareth walked at a fast clip towards the exit, ignoring the High King calling his name. He had much to do and not a lot of time to do it in.

Once aboveground, he did his best to repair the damage between the Williams parents but felt a sense of despair as he realized that it was a mere patch, that Linda Williams was on a path of self-destruction, that without his interference would come to a conclusion much sooner than was good for her daughter.

He had spent so much time trying to repair things, he had so little time to watch over young Sarah who was giggling as she observed the strange balloons that were floating over her head.

It was noon aboveground when he realized he was being followed. Finding the High King standing in the shadows of the corner of the hotel suite, he looked at the man and said: "Why are you here?"

"She means something to you?" He inquired of Jareth. When the blond fae ignored the question, he sighed and said: "You keep so much locked up inside of you, you never speak of things."

"What good would that do to as you say speak of things. Would it change anything? Would it return things to the way they had once been? No, once said it cannot be unsaid. Once done, it cannot be undone." The cold voice announced as he turned away from the High King and stared off into the distance.

"There are things you are unaware of, Jareth."

"As I said, what was said was said." With that Jareth lifted the small teddy bear; of which's twin was in his study in his castle, tucked it into the pillows of the hotel bed and exited the suite.

Trying to locate Sarah in this city, with all this iron and too many people, Jareth didn't manage to do so until it was almost dusk. Frantic to give her the small bit of hope that he could, he saw the High King, standing invisibly behind the small girl with an inscrutable expression on his face as he bound her power.

When Sarah because invisible to him, Jareth gasped no, as he felt the small connection between them vanish. Stumbling backward, he saw that Smee who had been hiding beneath the table disappear and felt the goblin return to the castle even as Jareth realized just how much he had been connected to the little girl. The immense loneliness returned and he had to use his shapeshifting ability because as a fae he was so weak at that moment that returning to the castle in humanoid form was impossible.

Flying in through his open window, Jareth landed on his bed, changed back into his nature form and felt as alone as the day he had been crowned.

Struggling to breathe, he didn't understand why this was happening, why a mortal child's even temporary banishment was having such an effect on him. He knew he was in denial about how much he had enjoyed watching over Sarah for the last few years but had no idea just how deep that denial would be.

He never saw the shadow as the High King watched him, worried about the young king. That worry led him to do something his wife had been urging him to do for the last few years. He sent a magical sleeping and dreaming spell towards the boy and sank onto a conjured chair as he observed the boy's most hidden dreams.

What he saw shocked the High King and left the ruler very puzzled as to how he had not seen how bad things had gotten. Leaving via the nearby window after transferring back to his animal shape, he flew home and upon returning to his natural form went to visit his wife.

After a few I told you sos, she offered up a solution that he found was within the margins of the rules set out by the High Council many, many moons ago. "It will be done."

* * *

Jareth awoke the next morning with a very determined plan in his head and he found himself locked into his study, quill in hand as he wrote the story that he had dreamed. He reluctantly wrote the ending he had dreamed, instead of the happy ending his heart wished for then sent the book in a bubble aboveground.

He knew Sarah would forget him and the goblins, he knew that was for the best, at least as far as others were concerned, but once again, the Goblin king felt as if everyone else in the Underground had mattered more to those he had once believed loved him above all. Time would pass, he knew that a mere ten or so years in mortal time would go quickly, but he was tired of just passing time, of living his life for honor when those around him seemed to have so little...

* * *

Sarah and her family returned home and celebrated her sixth Christmas on this earth. She didn't know what was different, had had all memories of her playmates, both goblin, and the fae man removed, but she felt a loneliness, a sense of disorder to her world which had her clinging to those who remained in it.

Unfortunately for the young girl, her mother had gained a sense of being trapped, of wanting nothing more than to escape her humdrum life. Linda cringed each time she had to take Sarah with her to New York, at least at first, but she also knew that the next year Sarah would be starting school and this would mean more free time for her.

Sarah, however, knew none of this, she only felt as if her mother was spending more time with it, never realizing that it was time spent with her mother reading her scripts, her mind on the role she would be playing, her thoughts on getting the next part, on escaping the suburbs...

If only Robert would change his mind and consider moving back to the city... if only...

Robert for his part was once again watching and waiting for his wife and her treatment of their daughter. When Sarah came back from the daily trips to the city, telling her father about their 'adventures', he began to hear a name come up rather often. Jeremy.

At first thinking it was the child of another actor, he felt his heart stop when his innocent daughter unknowingly imparted the news of his wife's lover to himself. He watched, waited, hoping he was wrong, but never knowing what waiting would result in. If he had, he would have confronted Linda and done so immediately...

* * *

If Jareth had known what would happen next, but he wouldn't learn for about it for at least a year, because it was just past that human American holiday of Thanksgiving, when he had been allowed to check up on his young playmate. He had first delivered a small gift, a book he had created. Sarah might still be a little young for it, but he had placed it on the shelf with the rest of the chapter books that she had received as gifts from her grandparents years before.

Things were tense when he in owl form watched as the Williams family celebrated this holiday that seemed to honor food and that rather ugly bird known as the turkey. He was on the outside looking in, so he could be forgiven for not realizing that the pretty picture being shown was just a superficial and glossy display by Linda who had already made her mind up.

December, December first was going to be the day... the day she took charge of her life once again...

* * *

Jareth returned to the underground, uneasy about things, but grateful that his patch to fix the Williams marriage seemed to be holding and that Sarah seemed to have her family intact.

Heading to his study to brood, and maybe create yet another twist and turn for the Labyrinth, something to keep him occupied for the next year... something to keep him busy besides looking into the why and how of Sarah's magic.

Aboveground, December 1st came quickly, Linda had slowly been packing and taking her wardrobe and things important to her and transferred them to her lover's loft in the city. He had noticed and had felt as if he was gaining his desires. His only concern was clearing out the spare room for her daughter.

Jeremy had found young Sarah amusing and knew that he would grow to love that sweet child. He had never thought about having children until he had met Linda and now, he was thinking about how wonderful it would be to have young Sarah around.

When Linda asked him to travel to meet her in Connecticut, he had eagerly done so, sure that she would need help with Sarah's luggage after all so far she had only brought her own clothes and personal items to his place.

Arriving at the large Victorian house, he felt uneasy and a bit guilty about poor Robert, but the lawyer had had his chance and his emotional abandonment of his wife and daughter was what had led Linda to come to him.

Once Linda had let him into the warm house, he told his beloved. "The taxicab will be back in an hour, will that be enough time to prepare Sarah for leaving?"

"I wasn't intending on telling her anything," Linda said as they looked into the living room where the young girl was curled up in her pajamas watching a cartoon and reading a picture book at the same time.

Looking a bit confused, Jeremy said "Won't she wonder why she is leaving town? And doesn't she need to dress? We can't take her on the train in her pajamas."

"I have Mrs. Martinson coming to babysit until Robert gets home. I am going to leave a note, he will tell her what he feels is best." Linda replied as she went through to the kitchen. Pouring Jeremy a cup of coffee, she said "Now be an angel and make sure Sarah stays out of my bags, she likes to play dress up with my clothes and I don't have time to repack things. I am going to double check to make sure that I haven't left anything."

His heart sinking a bit as Jeremy watched the oblivious little girl from where he stood in the kitchen doorway drinking coffee. His very small sense of guilt regarding Robert was one thing, the thought that his mistress was abandoning that little girl like his mother had once done to him, had him feeling a sick sense of wrongness, but then Linda returned and beamed her thousand watts smile his way and the handsome blond actor allowed it to wipe away everything but the thought of their happy future together.

Hearing the doorbell and watching the elderly woman who was going to be babysitting Sarah until her father returned home, Jeremy wasn't so sure that she was capable of doing the job, but the taxi had returned and the driver was helping carry Linda's luggage to the car.

As Sarah looked up to ask her mom where she was going, the older woman let out an annoyed sigh and said "Your father will explain when he returns home later this evening. Now we have got to go, Sarah."

The young girl stood then said, "But I am still in my pj's and I don't have my special red boots or my mittens, Mommy."

"You are staying here, with daddy," Linda replied tersely.

"But daddy isn't here, yet," Sarah said sounding confused.

"Sarah, just stay with Mrs. Martinson, she is going to stay here until your father will be home later." Jeremy's sense of guilt grew as the beautiful green eyes of the little girl, so much like her mothers teared up, feeling the wrongness of whatever was happening...

"Sarah, I am truly sorry." With that, the blond man escorted the dark haired woman to the waiting taxi. Standing there, he looked back at the small child clenching the hands of her babysitter, tears silently falling onto her cheeks and felt a sick sense of regret even as the woman pulled him to her.

"I am truly free." She was saying as she smiled at her lover. The lover in question was holding her rather loosely as his eyes stayed on the seen in the rear view mirror. The young child attempting to chase after the taxicab, the older woman restraining her.

Looking at his lover, he said "Your child..."

"Robert wanted her, not me. I still regret the damage giving birth to her did to my body." She answered as she pulled out her makeup bag and fixed the unblemished lipstick she was wearing. Once it was as she felt it should be, she said "So, what shall we do tonight? See that new god awful play at the Meridian or maybe dinner at Delmonico's?"

The guilt eating away at him, the lover looked at the woman who was leaving her family to be with him and then felt his heart sink as he realized she wasn't leaving to be with him but using him as an excuse to escape what she had chosen before.

Jeremy knew that when the time came, Linda would leave him too. That he was responsible for Sarah feeling as alone as he once had. Still... looking at Linda, he knew that if hadn't been him, it would have been someone else.

To Be Continued


	4. Chapter 4 Scattered Hearts

**A/N** **Thanks to Tinalouise88, the sole reviewer at this point. I am just getting a feel for this, but this chapter is setting up the movie part of this story which will be the next chapter and a bit brief before we get to the meat of the story. I am not so sure that in the movie Linda was a neglectful parent, a bad mother yes, but not cruel, but for my story, she is. Also, I bring in Jeremy because I need an outside to speak to Sarah regarding her mother. -Mandy**

 **Chapter FOUR: Scattered Hearts**

Sarah looked at the lady watching television, she knew that there was something not right with her neighbor, that she often forgot her name and where she was. Looking between the closed front door and the partially open door that led to the garage, and the lady watching what she called her programs, she calculated the chance that she would catch her leaving and decided to go.

Heading up to her bedroom, Sarah changed into her thickest pair of blue jeans, her purple turtleneck and the pretty purple and white sweater that her mom had always liked, pulled on her special red boots... surely if she wore them, her mom would return. Deciding she needed her bear, she hurried back down the stairs as quietly as possible carrying Lancelot the second.

Grabbing her dark blue woolen winter coat by the back door and her thick scarf, mittens, and hat that matched her red books, she slipped out the door and to the detached garage where her new bike that she wasn't supposed to know about was.

It was a big girl bike in bright purple and pink, with training wheels instead of the tricycle that she used to ride. There was a fancy horn and everything, she thought gleeful as she looked around. Carefully edging it out the half-open door, she removed the pretty pink bow from its handlebars, put her favorite teddy bear in the basket and began to ride her bike towards where she knew the train station to be.

She had heard Jeremy talking and knew that Mommy and he were leaving on the afternoon train. She had learned from counting the streets during various trips with her father that the train station was twenty blocks from her house and on a straight path until the last corner.

Fifteen blocks away, she slowed down after skidding on some ice, glad that it hadn't snowed yet because she wasn't sure she could have managed the training wheels in the snow.

Five blocks away, she saw the nice policeman who often worked in the park driving a patrol car and waved, he waved back and seemed to look around until he saw the taller person nearby.

Sarah didn't realize it, but he had thought the person so covered up in the cold weather was her parent, so he put the thought of a small child on a bike alone out of his mind and continued his rounds.

Sarah arrived at the station, seeing the bike rack, carefully placed her front tire in the rack, proud of herself for doing that, she edged into the door after struggling to open it by herself.

Looking around, not seeing her mother or Jeremy, she heard the loud voice in the ceiling announcing final boarding for Greenwich, then New York Penn Station and rushed towards the big glass doors that she knew led to the tracks.

"Whoa, pretty lady, where you going in such a hurry." A man wearing the uniform of the commuter train company stopped Sarah. "Slow down."

Sarah frowned and said, "My mommy is on the train and I wanted to see her."

"Well, why don't you go to through those doors right there and you will see the train from the large window." The man shook his head in amusement as the pretty little girl rushed off after shouting thank you to him. Looking around for her father, he saw a harassed looking man of the right age heading towards the observation lounge and couldn't help thinking the man had a handful to take care of in that one.

Exiting to the tracks, he saw the little girl's horrified face as the train began to pull out and then she disappeared from view. He gave no more thoughts to the child and went to prepare for the afternoon arrival from New York so that he could get out of the station a bit early as he was attending an early Christmas party that evening.

On the other side of the station, Officer Maddox was finishing up his rounds and was heading back to the police station to turn his vehicle over to another officer, the gate agent was doing the same but the little girl, had rushed back to her bicycle, determined to reach her mother before the train was going too fast to get her attention.

Both men, however, heard the loud sound of metal hitting metal and then screams from people nearby and rushed to the scene. The gate agent saw the small knitted cap laying near the tire of the taxi cab that had crashed into large food delivery truck.

The police officer saw the small training wheel, still spinning caught within the bumper of the delivery truck, he heard the truck driver who was standing near the front of his vehicle moaning and mumbling that the little girl had just come out of nowhere on the bike, the taxi driver passed out from the pain of trying to put his cab between the sweet child and the larger truck to try and protect her.

Officer Maddox scrambled under the truck and found the broken body of the little girl and almost bawled in relief upon finding a pulse. It was thready but it was there. Sliding out from under the truck as the ambulance arrived, he told the EMS personnel what they were dealing with then began asking if anyone had seen the parents of the child.

The gate attendant told of seeing the father in the station and that the little girl had said her mother was on the train to one of the officers, but no one passed it on to the investigating officer. Officer Maddox was handed the knitted hat from the taxicab driver who never connected the little girl to the couple he had just dropped off at the station before his lunch break replied he hadn't seen anyone but the child.

Maddox looked at the red knitted cap and then at the bike and realized this was the little girl he had often seen at the park with the pretty mother who had tried to flirt with him. The girl he had seen about twenty minutes earlier in his shift.

As the broken little girl was carted out in the ambulance, the driver told the policeman "She is going to need to be airlifted, there are multiple broken bones and we think a rib pierced her lung."

Officer Maddox waited until the tow truck pulled the delivery truck away and the driver had gone to the hospital to be treated for shock himself and then saw that the crumpled metal bike with the smashed wicker basket; to his relief it had a three dollar bike license on it in spite of it not needing it for a training bike.

Calling the station, he told the shift commander what was going on and within an hour a call had gone out to the law firm that Robert Williams worked at. "He is out of the office. We will try to locate him but you should find his wife at their house. It's the large Victorian with the oak trees on Adams Blvd." Being given an actually street address, he drove slowly by the city park and towards the street filled with large oak trees.

Finding no one but a befuddled older lady who claimed not to know anyone named Williams at the house, Maddox located a picture of the little girl and held it out to the woman who brightened up and said "Oh, yes, I know her. She is my granddaughter."

"Where are her parents?"

The older lady thought about it for a moment then said: "Her daddy is a lawyer, works out at the old newsprint office."

"Where is her mother, your daughter?" Maddox asked holding out the picture with the girl and her mother.

Frowning, the woman brightened up then said "Oh, I recall. She went to the supermarket to get some fruit. She should be back soon."

Two hours later, Maddox had had his department searching every single grocery store in a ten-mile radius, not finding anyone who matched the description he had of the child's mother.

It was almost dinner time when Robert Williams arrived home to find a note on his door telling him to come down to the police station as soon as possible. Rushing into the house, finding no one there, he was soon back in his car ready to back out of the garage really confused because Linda's car was still parked in its usual spot.

Entering the police station, he told the desk sergeant his name and was escorted behind the bullet proof glass and into a small nondescript room. A man in a dirty uniform entered with a weary expression on his face. "Robert Williams?"

"Yes, now where are my wife and daughter?" He asked, his voice cracking as he recalled all the odd and pitied looks he had been given as he had been led to this room.

"Your wife we are still looking for, but your daughter Sarah..." The officer stopped speaking for a second then after gulping his fear continued to speak. "There was an accident today involving your daughter."

"An accident? I don't understand and what do you mean you are still looking for my wife?" Robert asked.

"Your daughter was riding her bike down by the train station and was hit by a delivery truck that slid on some black ice. Thankfully, a taxicab driver saw it was about to happen and placed his cab to take the brunt of the force."

Robert felt faint as his knees grew weak and he fell into the metal folding chair behind him. "Oh my god, my daughter...how...where is she?"

"She has been airlifted to the trauma clinic in Hartford, Mr. Williams." The officer saw that the attorney began to faint and gripped onto his arms to keep him from sliding under the table out of shock. "We have a car waiting to take you there, immediately."

"Why? When? Why didn't someone notify...oh god, I was at the archives, there are no phones. When? When did this happen?"

"Around one." Maddox saw the man counting the hours and added: "We have been trying to reach anyone we could to tell you about this."

"My wife? You haven't located her?" Maddox had no clue where the wife was but they had begun to realize that the mother in law had some memory issues.

"Your mother in law said that she went shopping but after checking all local shops and even those in Stanford, we haven't been able to locate her."

"My mother in law? My mother in law is dead, officer." Robert said confused.

"There was a woman in your house, she said that she lived there and that her daughter had gone to the grocery store."

The husband looked sick for a moment then said: "That is my neighbor, Mrs. Martinson, she has dementia."

"Do you know why she would be in your house? It might help us locate your wife and figure out why your daughter was at the train station."

Robert groaned in anger then said "My wife probably left Sarah in Mrs. Martinson's care again. We have had arguments about this as she is incapable of watching herself let alone an active child. My wife is more than likely in New York, she is an actress. Do you have a phone I can use before I leave to get to my daughter so that I may notify her about our daughter."

Robert left a message at the box office, then hurried to the waiting squad car that rushed him a hundred miles away to where his daughter was being treated by the finest trauma surgeons around.

His wife, upon seeing the note was from him, crumpled it up without reading it and told the woman who worked the ticket desk that she had left her husband and that she was to tell Robert she would no longer accept messages from him.

Over the next month, Robert dealt with blow after blow as he signed for his young child to have several bones reset and for surgery to repair the damage to her spine. His wife's absence was noted by himself and the hospital staff but Sarah was told that Linda had a cold and was being kept away.

He sent her flowers in her mother's name on her birthday, had avoided celebrating Christmas, pretended to speak to Linda on her behalf and the young girl was too ill to realize the truth, but Robert knew and he would not forget.

Marking the days until Sarah was more capable of being left alone, he asked his new assistant to sit with his little girl and Irene was more than willing to do so.

Robert took the blue backed divorce papers and drove to the city. Finding his wife answering the door still in her nightgown when it was almost noon at her lover's address, he coldly handed them to her and said "Sign these then for god's sake go and visit your daughter. How you can live with yourself, just ignoring her at a time like this... I just don't know you anymore Linda."

Brushing her hair out of her face, Linda rolled her eyes and went to Jeremy's desk to locate a pen. Signing where it directed her to with post-it notes, she said "Don't go acting all pious on me, Robert Williams. You forced me into marrying you, moved me to that godforsaken backwater then expected me to just accept it. You wanted the kid, you keep her. All I want is the alimony I deserve for everything you put me through."

Jeremy who had gone to visit his agent was reentering the apartment as Robert had been handing her the divorce papers and stayed silent, knowing that this was none of his business.

"What I put you through? You, you have the gall, our daughter almost died because of your selfishness. She is being fed through a tube and is going to have to relearn to walk and you... Our seven-year-old daughter was hurt trying to chase you down as you ran off in typical cowardly Linda fashion while I was at work. Our daughter had her legs broken in four different places mere feet from the train station, from the train you were on as you ran off to return to your career as a 'star'..." His derisive laughter filled the large loft apartment as he continued "You...there are just no words."

With that, he sneered at Jeremy who had turned ashen at the horrific news Robert had imparted. As the train had left the station, he had seen the taxi hitting the truck, he had seen the two drivers and hadn't given it another thought.

"Sarah..."

"You, you don't get to say my daughter's name." Robert snapped at the blond man. "Just don't."

Jeremy wanted to say he was sorry, wanted to say he already regretted what had been done, but he knew that it was too little too late. Still, maybe there was something he could to help, to salvage things for the Williams family, maybe he could get Linda to return home where he was beginning to realize she belonged.

Robert left, after one more sneering and less than impressed look over of both of the lovers. When Linda began to rant about her ex and how he owed her for all of the years her career had suffered because of his forcing her to remain in the backwater of Connecticut, as she went on to began to talk about suing her ex, when an hour later after she had given him more information than she realized, Jeremy waited until she stopped speaking and said "Don't you even want to know about your daughter?"

"Like I told you, he was the one who wanted her. I never did." She said with a shrug as she went to grab the pack of cigarettes off the nearby windowsill and lit one up. "Besides, she couldn't have been hurt that bad, after all, someone would have told me."

Jeremy excused himself and went to visit his psychiatrist. A session and a call later to first the local hospital in Linda's hometown and then to the large trauma center in Hartford and Jeremy had quickly scheduled more time on the couch, knowing his guilt would eat away at him for years for this screw-up.

* * *

In the Underground, Jareth felt a sense of sickness, of not being right. He had had the healer check him over, but there was nothing wrong with him. As he went to the throne room to hold court for his subject, he struggled to overcome the need to sleep for some reason.

It was a short session, involving a few battles regarding chickens between the goblins and a request from an exiled member of the dwarf kingdom who had been kicked out of his family for being cowardly to join his lands.

Huggle, the dwarf was awarded citizenship, a small cottage and a job spraying the pixies to keep them in line. When the dwarf didn't correct his name, Jareth grinned, awaiting the day that the creature realized that all he needed to do to prove he wasn't a coward was to no longer mumble when he corrected his new sovereign for mispronouncing his name.

* * *

The year started as troubled as the previous one had ended for almost everyone involved. Linda quickly got offered a part in Hollywood and left New York annoyed with Jeremy when he made it clear he was staying in the city.

Jeremy whose guilt ate at him for what had happened to Sarah, often sent her gifts in her mother's name, knowing that Linda wouldn't even bother. He moved onto to the next play, the next woman, but he found it difficult to forget the little girl whose life he had ruined. He often kept track of how she was doing and knew that her recovery was going to be long and painful.

* * *

Robert would work all day then come home to be with his daughter. He would read to her every night before bedtime, the books his mother had sent to his little girl all those years ago, getting a work out as Sarah struggled to learn to walk again.

Sarah was a bit confused as to why her mother never visited but treasured the gifts she sent as proof of her love. Her father, who had been surprised at the thoughtfulness of the presents even as he was angered by Linda's absence, hired a clipping service to send to Sarah articles about Linda's successes in her mother's name.

As the dark haired girl relearned to walk, she grew to love the books of myths and legends, especially the red bound leather book that reminded her of something, something just out of reach. The story of the Labyrinth, which was in the form of a play had captured her attention to the extent of pushing out all her other books.

She watched as her father seemed to close up upon himself, barely smiling anymore, even at her and wondered why her mother didn't take her to live with her. She often wished it had been her father who left and her beloved mother who stayed, her mind tricking her into forgetting how she had gotten hurt that day on her bike and that her father was always there for her.

* * *

It was a year later when Jareth watched Sarah from the window outside of her room, wondering why the young girl seemed so much thinner and so much quieter. He wished he dare go inside the house, but he found he at least could take pleasure in the knowledge that she was reading his book.

The next few years flew by quickly and what was done by the various parties to the story were coming to together in a way that was going to create the perfect storm. Sarah was now a fifteen-year-old high school student who got good grades but held herself off from her classmates.

Most thought it was the result of her near-death experience as a child, her classmates unsure of how to take this young woman whose mother was a Hollywood star, whose father was a high-powered attorney whose name was known by almost all in town.

When her father had remarried, this time to his very sensible assistant who was determined to be loved by her stepdaughter, Sarah rejected the woman, knowing, just knowing that if only she didn't exist her own mother would have to return in spite of ten years of long distance gifts and no visits.

Finding out Irene was pregnant was the last straw as Sarah rejected all offers of friendship from the woman. She had sent her mother a note, begging her to let her live with her, but so far, the actress had not responded to her daughter's pleas in person even as the press ran article after article about Linda Williams hidden teenage daughter.

As the baby began to demand more time from his parents, Sarah's loneliness and desperation grew, the feeling of not belonging came and grew stronger as she felt like Toby was an intruder into her world.

* * *

In Los Angeles, a blond man was sneering at the television screen as his ex-lover lied again and again to the host of the late night show where she was a guest. Looking at the red light blinking on his phone, he thought about the offer he had received and debated accepting it as it would allow him to do more than just tell about his causes from the environment to protecting children, it would sell much, much better if he spilled his guts about his ex-lovers and the secrets he had often kept for them.

As Linda Williams, the Oscar-winning actress gave one of the best performances of her life as she talked about how much she loved her child and how her husband had been cruelly keeping her from her, Jeremy made plans to show the public the real Linda Williams.

* * *

Sarah was home on a Friday night, stuck babysitting the screaming child, wishing desperately for him to stop so that she could retreat to her bedroom. Sarah didn't hate Toby, not really, she just resented how his birth had prevented her mother from coming home like she had told the host on the television show.

Learning that the reason her mother had left was because her father had been having an affair with his assistant and had blackmailed her mother into allowing him to keep their daughter had been shocking for the teenager. She had no idea that her mother was spinning a web of lies to make herself look good and in truth wanted nothing to do with her child.

In Sarah's mind, that previous assistant had become his last assistant who was now his wife and the mother of his son. In Sarah's mind, if Toby didn't exist, her dad wouldn't have married Irene and Linda could have come home to live with them, to be the mother she spoke of longing to be on Johnny Carson.

* * *

Down in the Underground, Jareth was thrilled with the news from the Seer. Sarah would be of age upon his next visit to the Aboveground to check up on her. He was free to approach her with an offer to travel back and forth between worlds...

He had no idea that as a result of her pain, Sarah was about to make a very big mistake and wish away her little brother. Jareth had spent the last several years upgrading the maze until it was so dangerous that most gave up on rescuing their wished away children at the outset.

He had no idea that the girl he had been waiting for was about to enter into his kingdom and not in the way that he had long planned. But he would soon find out and it would be shocked at how wrong things had gone in both their worlds...

* * *

Smee had found the way back to his charge, he had been thrilled to find the small whiff of Labyrinth magic he associated with her. Unfortunately, several other of the goblins who had heard tales of the beautiful mortal child who came and went for several years in their kingdom and had come along to visit.

They could hear the sound of Sarah's angry tears, and Smee wished he could help, but he knew that it would not be allowed, not until, not unless, well not unless she said the words, but no, not for her, not for their girl...

The other goblins heard her desperation, anger, and pain and wishing to help, knowing that their king was eager to see the girl, silently urged her on as she stood over the crib holding the wailing child.

"She's gonna say the words."

"Listen, listen, she is gonna say the words."

The goblins were thrilled, they were sure that their king would be too as it had been too long since they had played with her.

"I wish... I wish... I wish the goblins would come and take you away right now."

 **To Be Continued**


	5. Chapter 5: The Path Forward

**A/N: Tinalouise** , thank you for the review and the information regarding Linda and Jeremy. I am going to keep this storyline on the path I have it but will make a note of what you wrote in case of any interest in writing other stories in this genre. I have never read the novelization, so was unaware of what you wrote. I have seen the comic book Return to the Labyrinth and dislike it immensely. Not sure why, but just do.

 **Falynn07,** thanks for the review and I am glad you are enjoying this tweaking of the story.

 **ChocRaspberry** , I have gone back and made a few edits as I usually write after my kids are in bed and frankly I am tired. If I catch things, I change them. I should tell you that I refuse to deal with betas because when I first started writing GH(General Hospital) fan fic, I had one steal a story and claim it as her own on a different site than where I posted originally. She had actually posted it here, on The PTB thankfully accepted my proof and removed it. Haven't used a beta or trusted one since. I figure if I graduated college with a BA in business, I can at least make it understandable if not perfect for my readers. Maybe not, but my ego likes to think so. oh, and your choice of name had me salivating for a choco raspberry Godiva chocolate bar today which meant I ended up walking two extra miles. My dogs thank you, my feet and thighs don't.

 **Asilanom** thank you for your comment.

 **A/N2:** This chapter is covering the time of the movie and the morning afterwards which is setting up the rest of our story which isn't going to be more than five or six chapters more. I will say it does get funnier, imagine if Jareth and the goblins were courting you and you can imagine the havoc that is about to be wrecked. Oh, and the substory of Linda, Jeremy, Irene and Robert is going to explode putting Sarah in it's destructive path.

* * *

 **Chapter FIVE The Path Forward**

Jareth heard the distant call of a wisher and saw the hoard of goblins gather and cackle just before they disappeared and then returned with a small human child about 12 months old. Seeing the oddly familiar looking bear in his hands, he moved forward and using magic went to deal with the wisher.

Arriving in owl form, he saw the familiar looking house and with a sinking feeling of regret, realized exactly who it was who had had to wish away the little boy. Sure enough, when he returned to his natural form, he saw Sarah Williams standing next to the crib looking shocked.

His eyes took in the many changes from the five-year-old girl she had been when he had last been able to speak to her face to face and the pretty young teenager standing in front of him. He was troubled by her wish but knew he had no choice in what had to happen next.

She turned when she heard the noise of his arrival and Jareth could almost smell her pain but underneath it was the strong scent of anger and resentment towards the missing baby boy. As he taunted her with the knowledge that he had her brother, he hoped and wished for her to say the right thing, but when the words came, it wasn't right.

"I need my brother back." Need, not want. With a regretful sigh and knowing he had no choice, Jareth sent her into the Labyrinth after giving her the required warnings and limits. He knew that the spirit of the Labyrinth would not take this well, she was would be angry with Sarah for her choice, but hopefully, she would be able to see Sarah's pain as she had once seen his upon his crowning.

Returning to the castle, he was about to join his subjects and look at this shocking surprise of a baby brother for Sarah when he heard footsteps. Turning to see the High King and the Court Seer, he shook his head and told them. "She is here and here she will stay."

"It isn't time yet, Jareth. After she runs, she must be returned." The High King replied knowing he would not like the rules, but they had to be enforced, especially considering the young girl's eventual destiny. The Seer had filled the High King and Queen in on Sarah's origins and he had been surprised, to say the least, that she had been created when Jareth had wished for a queen.

"She will have the option of her dreams, just like all the rest," Jareth replied as he looked at the Court Seer who remained silent. "Why are you here?"

"The boy, try to keep him even if she gets to the castle." Jareth raised his right eye brow at that directive and awaited for more information from the old wizened man. "He is the key to winning your Queen."

"That child?" He said pointing at the little boy in the throne room wearing the strange red and white striped outfit. "How?"

"There is nothing more that I can say." The High King followed the Court Seer who abruptly turned to exit.

"What do you know of this queen?" Jareth inquired as the High King was about to exit.

"Only that she was foreseen many moons ago and that you will gain your queen after the boy's arrival." The High King said all he could and then left.

Jareth looked in on the boy. Was that why he had felt a connection to young Sarah, was she and her brother somehow part of his future. But who was to be his queen and why was the Court Seer so against just telling him what he needed to know?

He had only told him that Sarah would be returning to the castle and would be allowed free travel after her next birthday recently, nothing had been mentioned of his queen.

Wishing he had time to go reread what the book had said about the bride of the Labyrinth, Jareth was torn because he knew that a queen meant the end to his loneliness, but she; his future wife was an unknown, Sarah was a known entity and her time visiting during her early years had been a time of contentment for the lonely fae.

Jareth watched Sarah's attempt to enter the stone walls of the outer layer of the labyrinth, wishing she still recalled her childhood games with Smee chasing the goblins through the hedges. Watching her meeting Hoggle was amusing, even as he made a mental note to remind the dwarf not to use the lakes even the less than clean ones as a bathroom.

He winced when she was bit by a fairy, recalling the first time that had happened and how she had at age four insisted on his kissing her boo-boo to make it better. Looking around, seeing Smee sliding out the side door after entering to whisper into the ear of another of his goblins, he knew that the goblin would go looking for his playmate, but that due to her special circumstances, the goblin wouldn't be able to help her. It was all up to Jareth to keep her safe and teach her what she needed to learn.

Looking at the boy, seeing the bear and sensing Sarah's scent on it, he began to understand what had predicated this particular wish and frowned, because Sarah had always been kind during her visits and had often shared her toys with the goblins, so why would she suddenly be so selfish when it came to a baby brother.

Singing to the crying baby, calming him down and grateful to see that other than being upset, the child was a healthy and seemingly happy child, Jareth settled onto his throne to watch Sarah's time in the stone wall.

When she said that the Labyrinth was a piece of cake, he grimaced, he had removed some of the more fearsome challenges, not wishing for her to get hurt, but she would never learn her lesson this way. Snapping his fingers and tossing a crystal into the air, he released a few of them mid-level diversions back into their rightful spots including the helping hands.

When she finally ended up in an oubliette and still didn't give up, he sent Hoggle to her to take her back to the beginning of the maze. He needed her to give up, there was much darkness ahead. As long as she learned her lesson, as long as she decided she wanted not needed her brother back, he would send young Toby back, no matter what the Court Seer directed.

Hearing Hoggle speaking and getting too familiar to Sarah, worried he would give away the game about her time there as a child considering how often his people spoke of it, Jareth returned the child to to the Goblins and went into the maze to distract the questing duo and see how far Sarah's lesson had progressed.

A few minutes in and he couldn't resist saying "Hello Hedgewart."

Sarah frowned at him and said "Hogwart."

Hiding his need to chuckle when Sarah flushed at her mistake and Hoggle corrected her, Jareth leaned over the upset girl and said "AND YOU, SARAH. HOW ARE YOU ENJOYING MY LABYRINTH?"

The wayward teen was clearly determined to force him to make her run the entire Labyrinth as she looked at him sweetly as can be and said: "IT'S A PIECE OF CAKE."

"That's not fair," Sarah complained after his answer to her blithe statement and he chuckled at her. Jareth knew that she wasn't ready, so tossing a crystal down the stone pathway, sent a few of the goblins to the cleaner machine which was normally used in the Hedge maze to trim excess branches, knowing it was more threatening than lethal.

As she arrived safety, Jareth overheard her speaking to Hoggle about his being a coward, then her removing of the small dwarf's jewels and couldn't help chuckling as he was reminded of how their little playmate's habit of hiding things in his castle all those years ago on the goblins who had loved the game which had often resulted in a trashed castle but very happy subjects.

* * *

Sarah listened to the hat, it's message about the way forward being the way back and got the feeling that someone was watching her and shivered worried it was the scary looking goblin king.

Since arriving in this terrifying place, she had been having strong feelings of deja vous and was certain that this was the result of her book about the goblin king and his mysterious Labyrinth. She felt a small pang at leaving the ring her mother had sent to her a few years ago as payment, but Sarah was sure that her mother would understand, that it was very important to get Toby back. It was a difficult path, but Sarah had at least realized that it wasn't Toby's fault, that she wasn't mad at him, she was angry with their father and his mother.

She was even sure that it had been either of them who had given Lancelot the third to him. Her father didn't seem to care that Lancelot had been the thing that had gotten her through her long convalescence, that stuffed bear and the gifts from her mother had kept her from being depressed at the pain to learn to walk again had kept her in bed. Sarah trudged along, having to fight Hoggle every few steps as the dwarf declared himself a coward time and time again, knowing that it was important to rescue her brother.

That stopped her in her path. While her father and that woman often referred to Toby as her brother, Sarah realized that this was the very first time that she had admitted it to herself that the small baby was in anyway related to her.

* * *

Jareth watched as Sarah rescued Ludo, the Rock caller having come to him when he had learned who was the runner in the Labyrinth and wishing to help. He wouldn't be too pleased with what Jareth had arranged, but he couldn't make it too easy on her. Looking at the boy who had begun crying yet again, wondering what family to send him to if Sarah didn't succeed, he was amused to realize that the boy had bright blue eyes similar to his. "Maybe I will keep you, call you Jareth. What do you think, you think a name change might help Sarah accept you more."

His namesake had cried most of the time during his visit to the castle which was odd because usually the wished away children who were healthy were thrilled with their goblin playmates but this one, he didn't seem to be happy unless he had Jareth's attention directly on him. Still, he had to go deal with a rather cowardly subject to get this little drama back on track, so in spite of knowing the loud cries would disturb the castle, he handed the boy to the goblins and exited quickly.

Finding the dwarf, he tormented him a bit, then told him the new plan. When the leathery creature said he wouldn't harm Sarah, Jareth bit his tongue to keep from demanding he does as ordered because he didn't want Sarah harmed either but knew that she was coming to the worst parts of the Labyrinth and he had to get her past them and soon.

"And Hoggle, if she ever kisses you, I will turn you into a prince."

Glaring at him, he finished "The Prince of the of the Land of Stench."

He left knowing that the coward wouldn't betray his order, Jareth returned to the castle, leaving the magic peach in the hands of the dwarf. Observing as Sarah dealt with the rather dangerous looking Fiery who were not half as worrisome as she would believe, he growled when she landed in the Land of the Bog of Stench, knowing how difficult it was to get that smell out of your clothes and really hoping she didn't need to be rescued from there.

Sir Didymus and his faithful but cowardly dog Ambrosius were right on cue as Jareth began to worry that Hoggle would believe he had to save Sarah and not give her the peach he had sent to protect her by making her forget so that he could bring her to the castle without her winning. Jareth watched with baited breath as Sarah took the peach and bit into it.

When she went slack and fell asleep, he hated to do it, but she needed to go back to the beginning so that he could not only keep her safe but protect young Toby. Going towards the dream bubble Sarah had released, hoping she was regretful about wishing away Toby, he instead found himself stunned to realized where he was. In the ballroom of his very own castle with the High Court enjoying a masque ball. Sickened to realize that Sarah had somehow landed into one of his own recent dreams, the one that he had been having since the Seer had given him that book about nascent magic.

This was no place for an innocent girl like Sarah he thought to himself as he took in the sights of debauchery all around him. How had Sarah of all people landed in this dream... he felt the dream warm up and then change as the illicit behavior became less obvious and the scene took a more interesting turn. Looking around when he heard the court whispering, his eyes caught sight of the beautiful young girl and was astounded to realize that it was HIS Sarah looking way more grown up than she ought to.

Deciding to let the dream play out, needing to figure out what she was seeing and doing, he began to play hide and seek like they had when she was young. Midway through the second song, Jareth realized that the person she was looking for was him and made sure that she found him.

Dancing silently at first with her, he found himself singing the lyrics to the song that the orchestra was playing, curious as to why the Underground courtship song was being played and why he had felt the need to sing it to his playmate. He saw Sarah struggling with some inner turmoil then she escaped and went to pick up a chair. When she threw it through the crystal walls of his ballroom, Jareth panicked for a moment then realized that he was only in Sarah's dream and she hadn't really destroyed the crystal which would have cut her skin to pieces.

Returning to the real world, not surprised to find he was in the throne room with the crying baby, he quickly used a crystal to check on Sarah and found her first in her room at home like he had intended but then she somehow managed to land back in the Underground, from the looks of things in the Junk-pile just outside of the Goblin city.

Sarah escaped the junk lady and Jareth breathed a sigh of relief when she seemed to get possessions were just that, items that could be discarded, but her determination to get to Toby had him worried as he wasn't sure if he offered the boy up now that she had learned her lesson she would believe it was over. He was regretting it but knew he had to let her live out the story in her book.

Hopefully, after the dance they had just shared, she would remember it's opening line... Jareth frowned at that thought, he had written that with one meaning, but just now, he was rather sure that his meaning had somehow changed. He had loved Sarah as a playmate when she was young, but just now, his thoughts had been very different...

Confused and knowing that he had no time to think this through, he stored the memory away so that the book and its story line could be played out. Ordering the goblin 'guards', those who used to play storm the castle with Sarah to stop her, he ordered Toby taken to the staircase room, deciding that that would be the best place for this grand finale to play out as in spite of how dangerous they looked the staircase had magical protections on it to keep children safe.

Jareth watched as Sarah and her newest compatriots faced the goblins and was startled to realize that his thoughts weren't amusement at her steadfastness or pride at her besting the goblins for the first time ever in this age old battle, but that he had noticed how beautiful her green eyes were, how incredible her hair looked blowing in the breeze and how courageous she was being by facing him alone in spite of not knowing he would never harm her.

Struggling to shake off this odd sense of rightfulness, he awaited his cue as Sarah entered the castle. A rather odd game of chase and retreat had the two of them getting close and yet further away from Toby who Jareth was just waiting to send back home. As they spoke, Jareth felt his heart racing and didn't get it, not at first, then it hit him, this, this was the person he had longed for all of his life.

No matter, child, teenager or hopefully eventually when she grew up, as a bride. Unable to help himself, he made an offer he shouldn't have and was rather torn between pain at her rejection and pride as she used the words from the book to empower herself.

With a slightly ironic smile, Jareth watched from the window outside of Toby's room as Sarah gave her brother the latest incarnation of the stuffed bear he had the original of at his castle. He felt lonely as he watched her invite his subjects into her room, but Jareth had finally, finally figured it out. Sarah, at some point, was to be his future and for now, he had to give her the time to grow into the person she was meant to be.

It explained so much, the Court Seer's words and guidance, Mueller's rather officious behavior and rules that he had never seen in the laws before that day nine years ago, even the odd remarks and questions from Smee about missing his lady. He suspected that they all had know which made him wonder, had the High King known? Had his wife?

With one last look through the open curtains, Jareth in owl form returned to his castle and his bedroom. Sinking onto his bed, reminding himself that he would see Sarah in mere months and that he had a lot to do before then, he went to sleep exhausted from having spent the day living up to her expectations from the book.

* * *

The next morning, Sarah woke up in her bed, staring at the ceiling and realizing that she could never tell anyone about what had gone on the evening before. No one would ever believe her.

Goblins?

Dwarfs?

Rock Callers?

Whatever the heck Sir Didymus was?

All that was enough to convince her to keep quiet and that was even before she mentioned or thought of the Goblin King. With a loud sigh, Sarah relieved every single face to face meeting with the strange and oddly familiar baby thief. While she could admit in the light of day that she HAD wished Toby away, he had to have known she hadn't meant it.

She was sure that every single day, parents let alone baby sister babysitters wished away their charges. She was sure she would have heard about it on the news if there had been that many children turned into goblins. Sarah was thinking about the time in the oubliette and how the Goblin king had leaned over her in such an overly familiar fashion and frowned.

She had not been scared, more intrigued and that necklace of his that he had been wearing... no, not necklace...what was that word...why did she feel like she wanted to describe it differently like she heard his voice telling her what it was? Struggling to clear her head, Sarah found her mind going from that incident to the ballroom.

She still wasn't sure if it had been a dream or real, but she could still feel her urgent need to find the Goblin King. How it had felt to have his hand on her lower back as they danced. She blushed when she recalled his voice singing to her, a song that once again there was a sense of knowing but not knowing. Reaching into the drawer of her nightstand, she pulled out the book that had given her the words to save her brother and her and found no mention of a dance in a ballroom or even the Goblin king tormenting the wisher as much as he had her.

Tossing the book back into the drawing and getting up out of bed. She went to shower then to check on Toby. Seeing her stepmother in the hallway, she grimaced at the sight of the home wrecker but knew she would have to get along with her for now, for Toby's sake. Not saying a word though, not wishing to change too much too soon, Sarah was soon downstairs where her father wished to speak to her.

Listening to his lecture about responsibility and then glaring at his attempts to get her to be kind to Irene, she rolled her eyes and said "I am going to the park. I know that once again, you will be leaving for the night and yes, that once again, I am required to babysit Toby. So if you will excuse me, I am going to escape while I can."

Once in the park, Sarah sat on the bench, bit her lip and struggled to control her anger. She had not meant to say what she had, but her father had pushed her into anger by suggesting that Irene loved Sarah. Sarah knew this to be patently untrue. Irene didn't even tolerate her, she only wanted her around to babysit her brother.

* * *

Down in the Underground, Jareth had awoken with a sense of purpose and had gone immediately to his office. Writing up his writ of intent, he carried it to the High Castle Court himself and filed it with Mueller who seemed surprised to see him. When the man officially announced that the paperwork was correct and that yes, he was the first and only candidate, Jareth demanded secrecy and then left.

The young king, knowing he needed more information but realizing that there was no way that the Court Seer would give it to him, he stopped into the Royal Library to find a book he recalled once seeing there as a child.

As a small boy, he had not given it a second look, what interest would a child at his age have in the mating rituals of those in the Aboveworld. Now, it was to be his latest subject to study and perfect. He intended for Sarah's courtship, handfast and hopefully their eventual marriage to be one of the grandest ever seen so that she would willing choose him over the myriad of the fae who were going to see her as a potential mate.

Mueller did his job and showed the High King the Writ of Intent. "Your Highness, I wasn't sure how to handle this."

The High King chuckled and said, "Let it be." He went back to eating his breakfast, amused at the knowledge that Jareth had had to arrive at the break of dawn for this to already have been filed with the court scribe. "But your majesty, the rules state..."

The thin man with the nervous twitch wasn't happy at this violation of Underground rules.

"Does this Writ of Intent in any way negatively alter or require different actions than what is already in place?" The High King inquired. "No, but your majesty, the Writ of Intent is an unnecessary document as the King of the Southern Lands is already betrothed to the lady in question."

Mueller pointed out. "If it is to be read as all Writs required, it is a waste of the courts time."

"I think that to honor Jareth's path, we allow this to happen." The High King gently suggested. "It is the least that should be allowed."

"Fine, but your majesty, who is to act in stead as Sarah's magical guardian, the records due to their betrothal, list King Jareth," Mueller said clearly horrified at the break in protocol.

With a suddenly wicked chuckle, the King wiped his mouth with his napkin and said. "Lady Sarah does have parents aboveground, Mueller. Arrange for them to receive a copy on her birthday as required."

"Your Highness?" Mueller was stunned at this alteration to court marriage contact protocol. Mortals were never to be brought into Underground laws, they were too emotional to understand the ways of their lands.

"Trust me, Mueller." The High King replied before heading to visit his queen. Handing her the copy that Mueller had given him of Jareth's writ, he chuckled and said: "He is proving his mettle quite fine."

"So I see." She replied then rolling the writ back up, handed it to him and asked. "When are you to tell him his destiny?"

"When he makes his last two wishes." The High King replied then exited the Queen's chambers to head to speak with the Court Seer.

* * *

Jareth returned home and getting comfortable in his favorite reading chair, began to make notes of the protocols for the mating rituals of aboveground. Frowning a bit by the second chapter, he wasn't sure how to perform the various rites of passage.

For one thing, what was a bower and how could they rub snouts when they didn't have one. Some of this was easier, giving gifts of fruit and finding the perfect knife to present as a gift. Others he wasn't so sure on, in spite of their lax morals before the betrothal to learn how to please one's future spouse, once a royal finds their bride they were required to be chaste until the wedding night, but mortal rituals require sex at a ball and were they to do this with others watching?

Jareth wasn't so sure on this, but he kept reading the chapters including the one about the signals with the fans and how Sarah would let him know she was interested copulating.

Smee who had been hiding, awaiting his king so that he may ask permission to go to stay with his old friend aboveground, slinked over to squint at the words on the paper. He couldn't really read but he had heard Kingly muttering about what he needed to do to bind the lady to the kingdom and make offspring. Smee wanted his Sarah, his playmate to come to the castle, the king had been happier when she had been around, he had been happier and he decided that he would help the Kingly get their Queen to come home where she belonged.

"Smee, give me one good reason not to toss you into the Bog of Eternal Stench?" The baritone voice drawled and then laughter could be heard as the goblin ran straight towards the door.

Jareth opened just in time to prevent the small goblin from crashing into it then closed it again. He had been well aware that in the last few years, Smee often came in and cuddled up with the small bedraggled bear that Sarah had left years ago.

He shook his head, knowing that it wouldn't just be he who would be happy in twenty-eight months time, but that many of the goblins would be as well if Sarah accepted his suit. Standing as gracefully as ever, he looked at one of the notes he had written and went to locate a book to tell him what the word bower meant. Finding multiple meanings and unsure which one was correct and loath to ask anyone,

Jareth made plans to create all three of them as nuptial bowers. The first definition was a leafy shelter; a gazebo. The Goblin king grabbed a nearby stack of plain parchment and drew what he felt was perfect as a blue nuptial bower for his beloved, a bit uncertain why blue was the necessary color, but game to fulfill all Aboveground courtship rituals for his Sarah.

The second definition was a rustic dwelling, a cottage. Jareth frowned a moment at that, not wishing Sarah to leave him alone in the castle after their marriage but recalling what the book had said about married couples needing time alone, he decided to place a small stone cottage in one of his gardens for her use during the day.

The last definition of a bower was a nuptial boudoir in a castle which he had intended to do anyhow for them to share. Exiting the study, intending on speaking to his woodcarvers and seamstresses, Jareth stopped midway down the corridor.

He knew that blue was the necessary color, but what sort of furniture and what view would be best and then there were the tapestries. What sort of scenes would Sarah prefer? Would a round pool be best or an oval or even a rectangle work best in the private room? Shelves for books in her private parlor or a large closet?

Deciding he had much to learn about Sarah, Jareth changed paths and went to the throne room and frowned as he realized that he had allowed the goblins to wreck havoc on his throne room.

If he was to honor his bride he needed to do more than just change one room in his castle. He had to clean up his entire kingdom...

Using magic to call all Goblins to the castle, he gave the orders and then asked Ludo how the repair work was going in the city. Being told that all was back to normal, he then ordered the rock caller to meet with him the next day as he had decided that all goblins from here on out would live in stone cottages.

The marketplace would also have to be cleaned up, he thought and then thinking of the marketplace realized he had never even looked upon the crown jewels other than the symbol of his position. What if they didn't suit Sarah? He would have to gather the dwarf and see what needed to be changed there too.

The list grew as Jareth walked the length and breath of his kingdom. By the stench in the air, he realized he was near a certain bog and was debating altering it to please his bride when he heard the soft music playing in the center of the stone labyrinth.

Following the music, he saw the flat and fairly large square that had not existed the previous day and knew, just knew that this was where he was to place Sarah's nuptial gazebo for their wedding.

"Thank you, milady." He told the spirit and hurried back to speak to the woodcarvers and stone masons so that they could begin to work on his creation.

* * *

Late that evening at midnight, Irene and Robert Williams arrived home to a sight that surprised them. Robert silenced his wife as they avoided awaking the two children and using the back stair case hurried to their room.

Irene let out a sad sigh and said: "It's only me."

"Irene..." Robert didn't know what to say. When he had believed that Sarah had resented both his new wife and her brother, he had been in territory that he could deal with, but this, what they had just seen meant that Irene was correct.

His wife brushed his hands off her shoulder and went to shower and change into her bedclothes. While her husband was doing the same, she exited their bedroom and went to the top of the stairs to look on the living room sofa where Sarah was asleep, her hand on Toby's back who was sleeping in his small cot surrounded by various stuffed animals that she was sure would be returned to Sarah's room if she had known that her father and she would see it.

It was very clear that the resentment in her stepdaughter's eyes was strictly for Irene, not Toby. Feeling Robert join her, she lay her head on his shoulder and watched silently. She saw Toby muttering something and Sarah's hand gently patting him on the back in spite of the fact she was asleep. Toby quieted down and Sarah's hand stilled.

The couple retreated to their bedroom and Robert looked at his wife and said "This is all my fault. I let Sarah believe that her mother..."

"Robert, I agreed that it would be cruel to tell Sarah the truth at this late stage, that I doubted she would believe it if it came from us." She replied. Climbing into bed, turning off the light, she said: "I only wish that Linda's lies would be shown for the self-serving falsehoods they are."

The Goblin Smee slipped out from under the bed and exited the house. "What is said is said."

Smee had already begun his part in the courtship of his future queen but still wished to help his friend. Surely learning the truth about her mother would be best. Smee like all goblins knew that fae didn't lie and he was determined that no one, but no one was to be allowed to lie to his future Queen. So the goblin, who had as much of a brain as any goblin, set into motion for Linda Williams to be always telling the truth from here on out... 

**To Be Continued**


	6. Chapter 6: Goblins

A/N: **JazminaPashima:** LOL, the book that Jareth is using is actually a book on mating rituals of animals, I just tweaked it a bit when I decided to use it along with the ten strangest mating rituals of humans. Let's just say that if it works, it should be funny for the story. **Lylabeth:** Thanks for your reviews. Regarding Jeremy, I intend to connect him to Jareth at some point. I am also using her family situation to explain why she will be so accepting of the goblins and other underground creatures. And, yes, Linda is to have a very very bad week. Pulling a Simpson's Monty Burns and rubbing my hands in glee. As for Jareth's idea of mortal romance, read the a/n above...

Okay, **Readers** , this is setting up the courtroom chaos. Jeremy, the goblins, and even the minor characters are going to be reappearing and each former sin is about to bite Linda on the rear. Oh, and the next chapter title's Liar Liar, since someone already guessed what it is about.

 **Chapter Six: Goblins Choice**

Robert Williams was standing in the doorway of his home, shocked at who had wrung the doorbell and was asking to speak to him. "What possible reason could you have for darkening my door?"

Jeremy grimaced and said, "A friend of a friend passed the news onto me that your ex-wife is intending on suing you for custody of Sarah and that she intends to file the paperwork here in Connecticut Monday morning."

"Why would she make such a foolish move?" Robert inquired. "She has nothing to gain by doing so."

"Nothing except make you look bad in the eyes of the press and to smear you which will make her look good. I know that you dislike me, but you should know I regretted what happened within minutes of the taxicab pulling away from the curb."

His quiet honesty had Robert looking at the man. After an accessing look, the lawyer said: "Stay here while I grab a jacket."

Once outside, the two men, former adversaries walked towards the park that Sarah still loved. Silent until they arrived at a distant park bench, Robert looked at the blond actor and said "Why are you here? And I would prefer the truth?"

Jeremy looked at the lawyer and said "I knew Linda from around the theater world before she married you. She was so very much like me, ambitious and very determined to not let anything get in her way of her future career as a star. When we met again, I was given a very one-sided story about an accidental pregnancy, a husband who didn't love her. Who moved her to the middle of nowhere to end her career out of jealousy."

Hearing the scoffing snicker, Jeremy nodded and said "She told a story of a distant husband, how she was pretty much a single mother raising her daughter on her own because you were never there. A story of how you sandbagged her auditions using your skills as an attorney and refused to let her go to town without your daughter to keep track of her."

Jeremy could see how angry Robert was but he held up his hand and said "I was eager for her to move in, felt certain that she was my so called soul mate. In my mind, that we were both ambitious meant we were perfect for one another. I had cleared out my office and had gone to purchase furniture for Sarah to have a room in my loft, was thinking that I would love to be a stepdad to the little girl who made me laugh."

Now Robert's anger was about to explode but Jeremy said with a mirthless chuckle. "Yeah, see Linda talks a good game about being a devoted mother at first, but once she lets her guard down, once she is certain she has you where she wants you, she is brutally honest. I soon learned that she had never wanted her daughter, that she had NO intention of raising her child and that she was not planning on seeing Sarah once she moved in with me."

"Not a surprise." Robert bitterly replied.

"No, looking back, the signs were there but I refused to see them," Jeremy explained about how his mother had abandoned him for his father and how he had grown up without either of his biological parents in his life. "I would have never planned to do this to any child, yet there I was that day, waiting for Linda. She only told me as we were preparing to leave that she wasn't taking your daughter."

"I don't know what you expect me to say. It almost sounds as if you wish me to say I am sorry that my ex-wife didn't steal my child away when she ran off with you." Robert replied in a rather snarky tone.

With a rather elegant shrug, Jeremy said "In a way, I think I do wish it. I think that part of Linda's appeal was her daughter and the idea of starting a family. Sick, I know, but it is the truth."

Robert nodded, but stayed silent, not trusting his ability to hold his tongue.

Jeremy then began to speak about the accident and Linda's neglect of Sarah. "When I told her that I sent Sarah a gift while she was still in the hospital in her name, she laughed and asked why? She said eventually Sarah would learn the truth, it's why I kept sending gifts, I was sure that Linda wouldn't think to do so."

His eyes narrowing, Robert thought back to the very thoughtful gifts that his daughter had received over the years and then at the man in front of him. "Trying to alleviate your guilt were you?"

"In a way, but the other side of it was what I told you earlier. There was something special about your daughter. I felt drawn to her as if she was I hate to say it, my daughter or sister or something." He replied. Seeing the other man's anger, he said: "It makes no sense, but there has been a sense of knowing her since I met her."

Jeremy stood and Robert wished he could hate the other man but his ex-wife had blown through the actor's life as badly as she had Sarah's and his. He had spent years in therapy to help himself get past her devious behavior and cruel treatment of their daughter and his doctor had suggested that Linda might have mental health issues that had gone untreated. Standing himself, Robert asked, "Why did you sign the presents with Linda's name?"

"No child should ever feel as if their parents don't love them." He replied. Looking at Robert he said "You do know, that Linda doesn't actually wish to win custody, that all of her tears and protestations are to protect her career. Hell, even this court case, by filing it here, she knows she will lose but this way she can say that you used your contacts and that there was no chance she would win."

Robert scoffed again and said "She is playing games with Sarah's fragile heart. My daughter, unfortunately, believes everything Linda is telling the talk show hosts. She is getting her hopes up. I am rather afraid that when the truth comes out, the only victim will be my little girl."

"I know about the court case where you tried to force her to visit with Sarah. I know what she did in negotiations. How she offered money if you would take full custody and responsibility for your daughter." Jeremy told him. "I guess, you can say that I am still trying to alleviate my guilt because I am here to offer myself up to the jackals if you want to end this now."

Robert looked at the blond and said: "No because telling the truth, would destroy my daughter." Jeremy said "I hate to tell you this, Robert, but Linda won't care about the emotional harm this is going to do to Sarah. She is fighting for her career, it won't matter that the truth could come out. Look, I know from our mutual friend who was so disgusted with what she heard that if by some god awful mistake that she does win, she intends to ship Sarah off to boarding school as quickly as possible."

"Why?" Robert asked.

"I have a tape you need to hear." Jeremy pulled the silver machine out of his jacket pocket and hit play. "Linda doesn't know that her so-called friend is intent on showing her for the woman she is." The soft soprano voice of Linda Williams was heard and all who were listening were sickened as the woman vented on how old her daughter was and how beautiful she was growing up to be.

Robert was stunned, his ex-wife was an idiot, a complete and total idiot. It was rather clear that he had nothing to worry about if she kept acting like this. Oh, Robert knew that the tape wasn't usable, that California was a two-party state when it came to taped conversations, but it did give him a line of inquiry for his attorney to use. One that would keep his daughter's heart safe and obvious to how her mother really felt about her.

Neither man noticed the officer wearing street clothes as he cut through the park on his return the police station from lunch who had overheard the entire conversation. A man who was well acquainted with the Williams family.

* * *

Smee had popped into the luxury hotel suite and saw the woman he knew to be his lady's mother. He listened to what she saw saying to another woman and an oddly dressed mortal man and let it soak into his brain then popped back out, knowing that this was more than he could handle on his own. With a slight chortle, Smee returned to the underground and went to the smartest creature he knew.

A visit with the Blue worm and he went to visit the Spirit of the Labyrinth who after listening to the small goblin pointed out that in the Underground lying was wrong. "Might I suggest that you help the less than honest lady learn that telling the truth is always better than lying. A small wish should work rather well."

Looking expectantly at the goblin, she listened as it wished for the lady in question to be forced, to tell the truth.

In the underground, Jareth was preparing for his future, those in the High Castle were working their own agendas. Mueller was preparing a copy of the Writ of Intent to be sent to the mortal parents of Sarah Williams. The Court Seer was making notes of the odd sights he had seen in his guided dream of Jareth, King of the Southern Lands' courtship of the Lady in Question. The royal couple was doing some work of their own.

The High Queen had been the last overseer of the wished away children and had brought a pregnant woman who had wished away herself to freedom after the death of her husband to the High King over five hundred years before. The High King had come to believe that her son was the future of his kingdom and had adopted the young boy at the same time as he had fallen in love with his future wife, the High Queen.

He had made a vow to Jareth's biological mother and the time was coming to tell his son how he had fulfilled that vow. He only wished he had been able to tell the son of his heart about what he had promised to that woman as she lay dying while giving birth to her son. Now, if things went as well as he hoped, he would be able to not only give Jareth the truth but a family that was much more extensive than even the High King had expected.

In fact, the only person unhappy in the Underground about these choices were a certain lady who had long wished for a child and whose anger about Jareth's denial of her wishes and her husband's recent determination to divorce her had her looking into how she could retain her station in life...

However, that is for later, right now, Smee and the Spirit of the Labyrinth were very busy teaching those who needed it a very important lesson. They both knew that lesson would expose the truth to young Sarah and hurt her but it was felt by the spirit that only by learning the truth, could young Sarah let go of her hurts and move towards her destined future.

* * *

Monday morning, an attorney wearing an expensive wool blend suit, tailored at one of the finest tailors from Rodeo Drive walked into the courthouse and filed paperwork suing Robert Williams for full and permanent custody of one Sarah Williams, fourteen-year-old juvenile.

Robert read the paperwork and shaking his head at all that his ex-wife had gotten wrong about their daughter in her filing of the custody case. Hell, the lady had even gotten their daughter's birth date wrong by two days. To his amusement and annoyance, an updated and corrected suit was handed to him two hours later by yet another process server.

When the woman had left, Robert was no longer smiling, as he found that he had been given a second set of papers, this one requiring Sarah to be in the courtroom. He knew that this was not a good idea, Sarah still idolized her mother and if he was to save her from her inflated dreams of the perfect mother, it would be better if she wasn't in the courtroom.

Calling his lawyer, another senior partner in his firm, he was told to bring Sarah but that he would arrange for the teenager to be kept away from the actual proceedings until it was time for her to testify or that he would arrange for her to testify in the judge's chamber. Locating his daughter was proving difficult and he soon realized that there were several different entertainment reporters in town covering the supposedly closed courtroom case. He was sure that his ex-wife had contacted them, but ignored it for now.

It was more important to locate his daughter before the reporters did. He had left work early that morning on the suggestion of his senior partners at the law firm, all of whom knew most of the history of separation and custody battles with his ex-wife. He was just about to give up trying to locate Sarah when he figured out she was more than likely in the park.

Sure enough, Sarah was in her usual spot, Robert noticed it was the same place he had walked with his visitor on Saturday and was just about to park his car to approach her when he noticed one of the sleazebag reporters moving in. Pulling off into the nearest spot, he barely remembered to yank the keys out of the ignition as he rushed towards his vulnerable children.

* * *

Sarah looked up to see the stranger taking photographs of Toby and her. When he tucked the camera away and moved in, holding a tape recorder close to her face and almost causing her to drop her brother, she moved back and told him to go away holding Toby close to her chest.

"Ms. Williams, how do you feel about the news that your mother filed a lawsuit to gain permanent custody of you from your father? Is it true that your father's negligence caused you to be airlifted to Hartford and spend three months in traction? Is it true that you almost died three times on the way there? That you had to relearn to walk and that you were unable to speak for weeks? That you were in diapers for months after the accident and had to be retrained to..."

As the deluge of questions, continued, Sarah had set Toby back into his stroller and turned around to look at the reporter who had kept up a steady stream of questions. When Sarah tried to speak, the reporter kept going on.

"use the toilet? Is it true that you begged for your mother and that your father told you she was dead? That your father locked you away in your room for years, is it true..." The rather aggressive reporter stepped forward again and a confused Sarah was getting scared because he had once again almost knocked over the stroller that Toby was now in.

When he begin the third set of even more outrageous questions and trying to maneuver the stroller out of his way as he shouted his questions at her, she wasn't having it.

"Back off." She snapped. "Look, I am warning, you the heck off."

While Smee was rather occupied with his small plan, he had not left his future queen unguarded and before the reporter knew what was going on, he had tripped over a rock, his tape recorder had fallen, the batteries came out and his nose was now broken as blood gushed freely.

Sarah wasn't sure exactly what happened to the obnoxious man, but it was clear that karma or something was protecting her because as he tried to stand and take her photo, the back of his camera popped open and the film canister was exposed to the light. The zipper broke on his camera bag and the spare film was now rolling down the nearby hill and into a river while his long-range lens cracked as it fell onto the cement.

Moving to check on Toby, she heard the furious curse words from the reporter and when he sudden hissed, she looked up to see him tripping yet again, this time, falling into a nearby statue and leaving a few of his teeth behind as evidence of his clumsiness.

She looked at her small brother and then at the man who was now staring at her with horror in his eyes as he held his jaw and bleeding nose while walking backward away and laughed. "Well, Toby, it looks like we showed him, didn't we."

Robert who had arrived as quickly as he could but it was too late. He was the reporter and looked towards his daughter who shrugged and said: "I didn't do it, I swear."

Wishing he dare laugh, he looked towards the man who had turned to run only to trip over his now tied together shoe laces and found that he had no choice as the laughter came from his belly and completely took over. Hearing his daughter laughing at the same scene and his son laughing because they were, he finally regained control and said. "I was coming to look for you two."

"So it's true. Mom is in town." Sarah said biting her lip. She wished to see her mom, but if this what it was going to be like, she really wished that she had gone to wherever it was her mom now lived.

"Yes, she has arranged an emergency hearing tomorrow morning." He said not sure what her response was going to be.

"So, will you let me spend some time with her?" She asked, wanting nothing more than to spend one on one time with the person she had been missing the most for the last few years. She was sure that the stepmother wouldn't be happy, but Sarah really didn't care what Irene thought.

"Sarah, tomorrow, we have to go in front of a judge. Judge Harris is the one who will decide that. When I was granted custody of you after your accident, your mother wasn't allowed unsupervised visits. That order is still in effect. If I were to allow you to visit with her today, that would be against the law. Let's wait to see what the judge decides tomorrow." Robert no more wanted his sweet child around that viper he had been married to than he wished to have his eyes gouged out, but he was going to take the high road until he had no choice. "What was that reporter asking you about?"

Frowning and trying to avoid answering her father, she bent over to pick up the recorder he had dropped and silently handed it to him, before saying "He was asking all sorts of weird questions, like about my accident and asking if you abused me and stuff. Why would he ask dumb things like that? I mean, you and mom, ended because of the affair, its what this should be about, right?"

Robert kept quiet for now, just guiding Sarah and Toby to his car. He saw the reporter speaking to someone else out of the corner of his eye and saw them pointing at his family. When he heard the second person laughing and then walking away, Robert looked over to see the reporter was looking around, clearly scared of something or someone.

* * *

Smee had done what was needed and when the mother of his queen awoke, she would be forced, to tell the truth. With a small cackle, he returned to watch over his future queen only to see a small horde of goblins watching out her bedroom window. "Lookeees, more playmates."

Smee was soon told about the mean man who had scared young Sarah and baby Toby. "Wes gets him." "Wes gets all of thems."

The goblins became invisible and were about to exit the house when they were called back to the castle by their king. It was a frustrated horde who returned to the throne room and ordered to begin to clean things up. Looking around the already spotless throne room, which they had done the day before, they heard the king demand the entire kingdom be done.

"Buts-" The protesting goblin, Tribble was kicked to the bog of eternal stench, where after removing himself from the bog, shrugged then returned to aboveground, taking the drop kick as freedom from the order to clean.

Arriving as the strangers who had been bothering the lady were leaving, he hopped into the back of the odd metal machine. Unzipping one of the large black bags with more metal machines, he traveled with the humans wishing to know what they wanted with his queen.

"Dammit, Gary, I told you not to eat that three bean soup." He heard the female voice say as she held her nose. "The stink is horrible, can't you hold it until we are at the hotel."

"Look, it isn't me." The male voice replied. Tribble heard the female voice saying yeah right. "No, I swear."

"Then who else is stinking up the SUV? The invisible person sitting the back seat?" She sarcastically demanded while Tribble was feeling slightly alarmed that she might be able to see him. He decided that he needed to do what he could and be done as quickly as possible. "I hope you don't think you will be sharing a room with me tonight. Go share with Adam."

He gave her an incredulous look then said "Didn't you hear? Lapson ordered Adam home. The poor guy tripped over his own two feet then tried to blame Sarah Williams for smashing his company camera." The female reporter rolled her eyes as he filled her in on the rest of the story. "Anyhow, he pissed off his bosses at Inside Edition and they ordered him to the studio. They were sending down Patrick instead."

Tribble didn't care about any of this and it sounded as if they were going to be leaving his charge alone. Still, they had such pretty things, maybe he should take himself a small little gift...

Lifting the small tiny canisters that were a shiny gold color he found lots and lots of them.

Giggling, he put them into the many pockets of the small pants he was wearing and popped out of the SUV just as the man named Gary driving asked the female "Did you hear that? The only thing heard next was the sound of the silver SUV driving in through the empty front window of a nearby jewelry store as Gary lost control of the vehicle. Thanks to the alarm, the police showed up before the bottom dwelling reporters from Extra woke up.

Detective Maddox who was there to respond to a robbery and had a connection to the Sarah Williams story was a very happy man as he pretended to be deaf to their excuses of losing control of the vehicle. He had them arrested on suspicion of grand theft and placed into a jail cell.

Upon arriving they found Adam who glared at the two of them and crossing his arms said "My wallet was missing and the hotel had me arrested for theft of services when I couldn't pay my hotel bill. Still, think that there is nothing strange going on."

"Yes, because Gary and I had an accident, you, well your clumsy ass just doesn't want to admit that you tripped over your own two big feet." The female reporter replied as she went to sit on the bunk, as far away from Gary and Adam as possible.

The two reporters from Extra growled when Adam was freed, demanding to know how long they were going to be there for.

"We can hold you for suspicion for up to twenty-four hours." With that, they were ignored as the guard returned to his nearby desk and settled in for the night. Gary and Claudia were not happy at all as they shouted out a request for their phone call.

"Yeah, yeah, when we get a moment. Things are a bit busy right now, thanks to all of you outsiders." The guard sneered before returning to read the paper on his desk.

Around eight-thirty, an officer in uniform came down and settled in across from the guard and asked. "How are the prisoners settling in?"

"A bit mouthy to begin with, but they seem to have gotten with the program." Looking at the young officer, he asked. "So, why are you down here, Weirton, this isn't your normal behavior."

"Fred at the coffee shop suggested that I ask you why Maddox is so hot under the collar about my comment about Linda Williams deserving time with her daughter." He replied as he slunk into a more comfortable position in his chair. "I am on night duty for the next three months as a result."

"Fred should be keeping his mouth shut." The guard growled then after a moment reading the advice column looked at the kiddie cop and asked. "Do you know the Momma's corner at the park?"

"Yeah, fun work if you can get assigned there." The young officer leered. "Why?"

"Williams when she lived here with her husband and the girl, used to try to hit on Maddox there when she would take the daughter to the park." He replied. "She didn't know Maddox had a type and it wasn't high strung women who tended to ignore their kid."

"So, what he said was true, about Linda Williams?" The kid asked unaware that they had gained an audience like the guard had wished for.

"Yeah, she had more than one affair long before she ran off with that movie spy." He replied. Naming names just in case anyone happened to be eavesdropping. "Hell, she wasn't even discreet about it. Her husband stayed married to her for the girl."

He was silent for a moment then said "Maddox saw the girl that day, you know? He says he has nightmares about it. He had seen her riding her bike chasing after her mother who had left in a taxi with her boy toy."

"Seriously?" Weirton asked. "I didn't know that." "Yeah, she left her five-year-old kid with a woman who had dementia so bad, she didn't even know her own name. Kid chases after her on her little training bike, you know the kind with the two wheels off to the side, with a horn and wicker basket. Maddox saw her on the street, thought she was with her mom, then after she left the train station to chase the train that was pulling out with her mom on it, a delivery truck hit black ice and then the little William girl."

"Fuck me." The young officer said, shocked. "I heard that they found her bike mangled under the truck, with a stuffed bear that had landed under one of the wheels."

"It's true." The guard replied. "Maddox tried to locate the parents. The father was at work and of course, the mom, Linda Williams wasn't located. I was the driver that took the dad to Hartford. Maddox or one of us was up there every single day. We heard how bad off the little girl was and you know the real kicker of the situation."

"What?"

"That woman who has been on half of the talk shows, crying her eyes out about how she loves her kid and how her husband is a horrible man, she never showed up, not once. Eight weeks, we rotated guards on her daughter twenty-four/seven, and not once did the great actress bother to visit. In fact, Maddox when he saw a gift from her, traced it back only to find that that spy boy actor sent it with her name on it."

"Really? Strange that." Weirton replied. "She had already moved on from him, but the pretty boy sent young Sarah a present. And that is why Maddox assigned you night rotation." He said as he leaned back in his chair and looked at the young officer who seemed impressed by something. "What?"

The kid seemed embarrassed and said, "You know, I uh, she is hot, a real ten you know, its why I like her movies, but I had no idea..."

"Well, now you know."

"Yes, who know that Linda Williams really could act," Weirton replied. With a heavy sneering frown he said: "Maddox is right, this entire thing is a publicity stunt."

"Yup and the real victim in this is that girl who she is telling the world she loves."

The two reporters who were in the nearby holding cells were staring at one another, unable to believe the scoop that they had just gotten. As they stared in frustration at the bars on their jail cells, they never saw the young officer wink at the guard then exit the lower levels. They had no idea that Detective Maddox had counted the time and knew that the papers would be put to bed at eleven in most large cities and that he was aware that if he let them out just before midnight, the two Extra reporters would not have time to question Linda Williams privately and that they would have to do so on the courthouse steps.

He went home after directing his Sergeant to free them later that evening, thinking that maybe he had just helped Robert and Sarah Williams out because that poor child didn't deserve to have her mother use her like this.

* * *

Tuesday morning, Jareth woke up and went to eat breakfast, only to find not a single goblin in the entire castle. Locating his staff, he asked where they were and was told that no one had seen any of the castle goblins and that the elf cook had heard them speaking to the goblins in the city the night before. Jareth wasn't sure why, but he felt something walking over his spine in a foreboding sense of warning.

Eating a piece of toast as he walked through the city, unsure why the scarce goblins he saw either pointed and whispered or ran away from him, he eventually caught one. "What is going on?"

"Nothing, nothings going on, Kingsley." He was told by the small creature who was struggling to get away.

"Where are the rest of your brethren." He inquired. "Now, come on, you can tell your king."

"Smee said don't." The goblin reached up with both hands and covered his mouth with a look of horror on his face.

"Smee said for you to be so traitorous did he?" Jareth's voice softened as he grew angrier. "Why would such a faithful goblin do such a thing?"

"Becauses the lady needs us tos defends hers against the bads momma whose tryings to steals hers aways from uses." He said from between wide spread fingers which pressed against one another to force himself to stop speaking. "Smee says wes be helpings makes the kingsys happys."

"My oh, my looks like my subjects are keeping secrets from me. I want you to go and inform my missing subjects that if they aren't back in the castle by midnight, I will place all of you in an oubliette." Jareth dropped the goblin and returned home, now more than a bit concerned that the goblins had somehow decided to watch over Sarah with their usual method of chaos and insanity.

There was nothing he could do, at least not until November except threaten his goblins and he wasn't so sure that even that would work because he was starting to realize that they considered Sarah as much their ruler as they did him.

* * *

Sarah sat at the breakfast table, tearing her toast apart, unable to eat and most definitely unable to speak to Irene who was not happy that her mother was in town. When she saw that Irene had been served with court papers and was more than likely going to be forced to admit her affair with her father, the teenager felt a sense of satisfaction at her finally getting what she deserved. Who knew, maybe that meant that Linda would come home and raise not only Sarah but Toby once she and her father remarried...

"Sarah, if you are ready, we have to go," Robert stated as he came into the room wearing a dark three-piece suit with a red power tie. His wife was dressed smartly in a suit with her hair up in a small chignon. Sarah, on the other hand, was wearing a lacy summer dress and had her hair pulled back in a blue ribbon. Noticing the jewelry and now knowing that it had been Jeremy who had purchased it not his ex-wife had him wincing as he realized that his daughter's blind belief in her mother was about to end and there was no way to soften the blow.

Irene had seen the morning talk show host speaking with the reporter from Extra and had heard that woman discussing the accident from just after Linda had left. Robert had tried to discuss things with Sarah, but before he could, he had been called to the door where he had been handed a strange piece of parchment with an old fashioned wax seal on it. He had opened it and had taken what was written on it for a joke before placing it on his desk, but it was too late there had been no time left to tell his daughter the truth. Now, they had to leave and were already running late.

In the car, Sarah bit her lip, she had been getting pitying glances from Irene all morning and she was struggling to control her anger, not wishing for the woman to be able to use it against her later on. At the courthouse, she saw the huge crowd of people and the reporters gathered around who began to shout as they drove up.

A man in a police uniform pushed his way in and guided Robert towards the nearby parking structure saying that they were taking them in the back entrance. A bit upset at not getting to see her mother, Sarah was considering breaking away but just as they came through the gray concrete hallway an older woman greeted her father and herself while nodding at Irene.

"Sarah, I am Judge Harris, I will be hearing this case. Why don't you follow me? Mr. Williams, Mrs. Williams, the officer here will guide you to where your attorney is waiting." With that firm dismissal, the older Williams family members went one way and Sarah followed the judge to her chambers. "Ms. Williams have a seat, please."

Looking at the tall thin woman with the widow's peak in her black hair, Sarah did as directed. "Now, I am sure you have lots you wish to say about this case. I will be listening to what you would prefer but I intend to do so after we have let the adults have their say in court."

"I just want to spend time with my mom, I know she wants to come back to us and that if you were to fix things, she would accept Toby and would..." Sarah saw the judge hold up her hand and went silent.

"Ms. Williams, I need to listen to what goes on in that courtroom first. I promise, we will be speaking and I will be listening to your wishes on this matter. No wishes matter more in this case than your own." With that, the judge pulled on her robes and turned on the small monitor. "Now, I have arranged for you to be able to see and hear everything that goes on in the courtroom. It's a closed circuit television and no one but I and my bailiff know that it exists."

* * *

Linda Williams was all trembling smiles and misty tears in her eyes as she ascended the courthouse steps wearing a simple light green sheath dress and what she considered a motherly hair style of an updo with a few stray strands falling against her ears as the pearl necklace and earrings she wore shown in the sun. She paid no attention to the press except as her lawyer spoke to them for her. She wished to but knew that the more you held out on the reporters the more they would shout which was exactly what she wanted. To appear the hapless innocent mother struggling to regain her lost child against insurmountable odds.

When she lost this afternoon, it would help her gain the ability to walk away from this mess without being the bad guy, she could always claim that she had done her best but that her best hadn't been good enough against Robert's ability to buy the verdict he wanted. As she debated between sobs and a few tears into a white lacy handkerchief, she noticed her lawyer didn't look happy as his assistant whispered in his ear. He waited until they were inside, past the reporters who were being kept out and asked. "Linda, are you sure you told me everything?"

"No, but I told you what was important." She replied then frowned a bit at her answer. That wasn't what she had meant to say, but finding nothing in it to use against her, she said: "How much longer is this going to take?"

"We have to head straight in." He replied thinking she meant the wait in the hallway, unaware that she meant the entire proceedings.

Escorting her to her side of the courtroom, he saw that there were only a few others gathered and that none of his witnesses were there. When he questioned the bailiff he was told that the judge chooses to seclude the witnesses to avoid tampering. Ayers wasn't sure what that was about but decided that it could only be to their credit if they didn't protest this.

Linda merely wanted a public showing so that the press was off her back, all he was doing was following her directive to show that she had no chance of custody but to keep her in the best light. Sitting down, he pulled out his files and looked across to where the defendant was seated. Robert Williams looked like an ordinary, no frills no excitement attorney.

How Linda had ended up married to such a stick in the mud was quite the puzzle to him. The new wife was even more ordinary. Leaning over, he never heard the quiet cackle from under the wood table in front of him as he whispered: "This is going to be a piece of cake."

"Just get it over with, I have an appointment with my plastic surgeon in the morning and I don't wish to miss it." She replied then frowned as once again she was rather honest about things she normally kept to herself.

To Be Continued


	7. Chapter 7 Liar, Liar Part I

**A/N:** **I will just do a general thank you to all who have read and reviewed this last chapter, mainly because this next chapter is a long one. I had only briefly touched on the court case to show Linda getting what she deserved and moved on to Sarah and how she reacts.**

 **However, a friend who read it said that it was too brief and didn't really show why Sarah does what she does. So, I added a few more witnesses and have slowly ratcheted up Linda's paranoia resulting in it being divided over two chapters instead of just one.**

 **BTW, did anyone catch it in the last chapter how the King had Mueller send the Writ of Intent to BOTH of Sarah's parents? This was for a reason. It starts here. Cue evil giggle.**

**Chapter Seven: Liar Liar, Your pants are on fire.  
** **Part I**

Judge Harris looked over her courtroom and sighed at having to deal with yet another child custody case. They were the absolute worst part of her job, deciding which parent a child was to live with. No matter how amicable things started out, inevitably the case brought out the less than flattering traits in both parents. This one, well she remembered her original decision after the mother had abruptly ended mediation and hoped that this time, this case had a better outcome because that poor young girl in her office clearly had no idea the truth about her parents.

Judge Harris had seen some of the rather one-sided publicity regarding the case and knew that the father had been attempting to take the high road regarding his ex-wife's past. The problem with that was that she was rather sure that the young girl in her office was going to have a rude awakening before this case was resolved.

The bailiff announced court was in session and called the case. "A Petition for the Modification of Primary Custody of the Minor Child known from here on in as Sarah Marie Williams. Petitioner Linda Williams vs. Respondent Robert Williams, Judge Dora Harris presiding."

Judge Harris took in the two parents sitting on opposite sides of the courtroom. Robert Williams was looking back at his current wife for reassurance while holding a pen with a yellow legal pad in front of him, clearly planning on taking notes and working with his attorneys. She had expected the high-powered divorce attorney, Artie Gables to take the first chair, but it was clear from the way that they were seated that he was in the courtroom for moral support as a younger female attorney held the first chair. Harris didn't know her, but from the way she was studying the notes and looking over at Linda Williams she was more than ready to question the actress.

Linda Williams hadn't so much as looked at her ex-husband, and from the way she was interacting with her only attorney, it was clear that she was sleeping with the rather besotted man. From the annoyed expression on his assistant's face, it was also clear that her attorney was more into the actress than in her court case.

"Mr. Mangusson, you may begin." Judge Harris announced and watched as the well-dressed attorney stood and called a child psychiatrist to the stand. As the well-paid shill talked about the importance of a mother in the life of a teenage girl, Judge Harris wrote down a few questions and listened intently. When the Respondent didn't question the doctor, Judge Harris stopped him from leaving the stand.

"Have you actually spoken to Sarah Williams or are your responses meant in more general terms?"

"No, I haven't spoken to the young lady in question." The man replied before adding. "I do have the backing of the latest research by the Board of APA's backing me on this."

"Thank you." She said dismissing the man, then asking Magnusson to call his next witness.

When the woman took the stand and began to speak, Judge Harris waited until she had answered the latest question then turned to the lawyer and asked. "Does this witness have anything more substantive to offer than how much your client misses her daughter?"

"We feel that this is a very important part of this case." He replied.

"Ms. Bronson, have you spoken to Sarah Williams or did you at any time observe Miss Williams with her mother during her early childhood?" She inquired.

"No, your honor." She replied.

"Mr. Magnusson, as we are trying to get through this case today, might I suggest limiting your witnesses to only those who have substantive testimony to offer. I would prefer to only hear from those who have witnessed direct contact with a member of the Williams family, more specifically with Sarah or have had contact with Sarah while spending time with either parent or her stepmother."

Andrew Magnusson stood and said: "I understand your honor."

When the Judge went to dismiss the witness, she was rather surprised to have the respondent's attorney stand and ask if she might question the witness. A bit surprised, the Judge said: "As long as it is substantive and not a repeat of what I just asked, I will allow it."

The thirty-year-old attorney agreed then turned to the witness. "You have been as you described it, best friends with the petitioner Linda Williams for how long, Ms. Bronson?"

"Since she moved to Los Angeles, we have been neighbors in Bel Air for the last five years." She replied.

"Do you have any proof of this friendship?" Magnusson frowned at the odd questioning but allowed it. "Yes, I mean, you can read about it in of the magazine articles about Linda or myself. We have always referred to each other as our best friend." She answered a bit sharply.

"Thank you. Now, Ms. Bronson, when did you learn of your best friend's daughter? Did she tell you when you met? Did you learn of her five years ago, when you became neighbors? Or was it more recently?"

Magnusson wasn't happy with the question but knew there was nothing objectionable about it. "Linda only confided in me last month after she learned that TMZ had found out about her daughter. She was terrified at the thought of the press harassing her young daughter. She told me that she had stayed silent all these years to protect Sarah from her life."

"Did she show you a photo of Sarah at that time?"

"No, she said she never kept any around for the same reason," Bronson replied. "It's such a shame that she had to hide so much of her life to protect that little girl."

"Little girl?" The attorney then said "Never mind that question. Ms. Bronson, has your client been preparing a room in her house for her daughter? Done any remodeling to her place?"

"No, she said that she will update the guest cottage for her, since Sarah will only be using it so infrequently," Bronson said and Magnusson had to hold his hands still as he began to tap his fingers on the table, hoping that his client hadn't shared her boarding school plans with the woman on the stand. To his relief, the other attorney clearly missed the inference as she dismissed Bronson and the Judge let her step down without any questions.

Going down his witness list, grimacing as he realized he couldn't call the majority of his witnesses. Finding one that would be acceptable, he called Linda's agent who spoke of how often the press had searched his client's trash and how often the paparazzi stuck cameras in her windows.

* * *

Linda was bored and was struggling to appear interested when she noticed the rather insipid woman that Robert had replaced her with was glaring at her. Hiding her need to smirk back, she instead faced the front of the courtroom and decided to have a little fun with the sad sack she had used to be married to. She was just about to smile at her ex-husband when she noticed how dry her mouth was.

Reaching for the glass pitcher of water on the table in front of her, she went to pour herself a small drink. To her horror, the spout missed the lip of the glass and poured out all over the table. Gasping, she shrieked in anger as the cold water landed in her lap. Pushing her chair back and standing as she tried to avoid getting any wetter, she dropped the pitcher which shattered and even more water spilled onto her.

The bailiff moved towards where she was and her attorney who had quickly jumped up as the Judge rapped her gavel to quiet down the others in the courtroom. Linda wasn't happy to realize that she seemed to have ended up with the entire contents of the pitcher in her lap, her dress now sticking to her skin as the cold water soaked through even to her panties.

"I will allow a half hour recess to allow the petitioner to dry off. Bailiff, please arrange for one of the janitors to clean this up."

Judge Harris left the courtroom and those that remained watched as Linda Williams struggled not to have a meltdown. In the hallway, she was demanding to be taken out a back door and to her hotel to change when Magnusson pointed out that the judge was only allowing them a half hour.

"I need more time. I can't be seen like this, for god's sake, what am I paying you for? Go talk to her and tell her that I will not..."

Magnusson leaned in and whispered "Get control of yourself. If anyone sees you throwing this fit, it will blow up in your face. Is that what you want?"

Linda's eyes widened and turned to look at the various corners of the long corridor before covering up her rage at what had happened and how inconsiderate the judge was being. "Well? What am I supposed to do?"

"I am going to ask Bronson to bring you back an outfit but for now, Janet, take her to the ladies room and find a way to dry her off enough so that we can continue."

The put-upon assistant did as directed while Magnusson went to see if he needed to do any damage control. Bronson agreed to speak to Linda about what outfit to bring back and then left the courthouse while the Judge had retreated to her office and had to deal with an anxious teenager who felt bad about her mother's accident.

* * *

Judge Harris calmed the teenager down and gently and without obvious intent questioned then teenager regarding her bicycle accident as a child. When the half hour was up, she arranged for a soda and some snacks to be brought to her office then returned to her courtroom. Looking at the various combatants, it seemed as if the local side were relaxed but the Hollywood group were clearly out of sorts in spite of the smiles painted on their faces. Noticing the glare from the assistant to the actress, she frowned as she could see the slightly discolored skin on the older woman's face.

Taking a longer look as she resumed the trial, she saw that the mark was in the shape of a hand print. If she had to speculate, she would believe that Linda Williams hit the assistant for some reason. Deciding to investigate a little more, she sent a note to the bailiff who read it then sent his deputy to retrieve a police officer as requested.

Magnusson stood. "Your honor, due to her accident, Mrs. Williams has asked to be allowed the indulgence of waiting to testify until after dry clothes have been retrieved for her from her hotel. We are more than happy to agree to allow the respondent to state their case so that there is no delay as the judge has mentioned wishing to keep the trial on track."

Harris looked at the young attorney who leaned over and was speaking to her client. "Ms. Havers are you ready to proceed?"

"Yes, your honor."

"Ms. Havers, you may proceed with your case then."

"Thank you, your Honor. I would like to call my esteemed colleague Arthur Gables to the stand." Once the man was sworn in, the judge leaned forward to hear what he had to say. "Mr. Gables, you were hired by Mr. Williams to represent him in his divorce and custody battle with his ex-wife during their original divorce, correct?"

"Actually, incorrect," Artie replied to his co-worker's surprise. "I was off on my dates during our original interview. As a partner in our firm, I have actually been employed by Robert Williams in regards to his marriage, divorce and custody case since before their first wedding as I wrote up their prenuptial agreement."

Havers knew that there was something Artie wanted on the record, something that he had apparently just remembered. "Would you please tell the courts about this prenuptial agreement?"

"It was a standard prenup, as required by our firm for all of its attorneys. At least before the first meeting with the petitioner Linda Williams."

"Please explain." Judge Harris noticed that Magnusson and his client were quietly conferring with one another as Artie pulled a file out of the stack he had brought with him to the stand.

Handing one copy to her to pass onto the judge and one for Linda's lawyer, he said: "This is the original with my handwritten notes on the petitioner's addendum." Judge Harris watched all and saw that Linda had been tense at first, but after reading what was written had relaxed and couldn't help guessing that there was something big about to come out but that she was obvious to the danger.

"For the record, please read the addendum into the record." "Linda Williams insisted that in the event of a divorce, so as to not unduly burden her career that should any child result from the marriage that a full-time nanny was to be employed to take care of the child or children. That at such a time as agreed upon, the minor child would be sent to a suitable boarding school at the appropriate age if my client was unwilling to accept full custody of said child."

"Was any such age agreed upon and any particular boarding schools mentioned?" Dora Harris knew that look on Artie's face and was sure that there had been.

"My client offered to have it written in the prenup that he would accept full custody but Ms. Williams insisted on clarifying this addendum. My client and she negotiated, he wished to have it state that Sarah was to be at least a teenager before boarding school was an option, Ms. Williams, well she wished to send her off at eight." Judge Harris looked at the actress, who didn't appear the least bit bothered by this revelation, nor when the witness added that the list of boarding schools acceptable to the actress were all schools in Europe.

"None here, in the states were acceptable to her?" Havers inquired.

"None." Artie Gables replied.

"My client signed this agreement, correct?" She asked.

"Yes, but only after the agreed upon age was twelve and that ones in the states had to be included in said options. He also had it written in the agreement that this was only to be an option if and only if he was in some way incapacitated to take care of their child."

Havers having drawn first blood moved on. "When did Mr. Williams first speak to you about the possibility of a separation from his wife?"

"The marriage was frequently unstable due to Ms. Williams ..."

"Objection." Magnusson stood and interrupted. "To put all the blame on my client without any evidence on the records is prejudicial to my client." Harris reluctantly had to agree and ordered the witness to avoid placing blame on the petitioner without evidence on the record.

"Mr. Williams started a file within three years of the marriage, which detailed issues regarding his wife at the time and her neglect of their child. He had kept a journal of the details. I have a copy that we filed with the courts a month after their fourth anniversary." Two copies were handed to the judge and Linda's attorney who struggled not to grimace as he noted the signed letters from witnesses, dates, photos and even to his horror a transcript of a telephone conversation between his client and her lover/producer at the time.

"In the interest of brevity, here is the report from a year later that was filed by a private investigator after Mr. Williams was informed by an eyewitness of an affair between Jeremy Scoldfield and the petitioner." Harris looked at the offered file, her eyes widening at the attached photos and then at the petitioner. The photo clearly showed Linda Williams in one room having sex while in the room next door a young girl was playing with a stuffed bear. The time stamps on the successive photos proved that this went on for several hours and there was an attached video. She saw Magnusson whisper something to his client who shrugged and replied to whatever he said.

"Why did your client wait to file for divorce?" She asked Gables.

"We decided that it would be best to wait until he had childcare in line and a housekeeper to ensure that his daughter would have someone there once he gained custody," Artie stated. "That all changed in December when Linda Williams deserted the marital home and left their daughter with an elderly neighbor suffering dementia to run off with Mr. Scoldfield."

"This would be when Sarah Williams chased after her mother's taxi and was hit by a delivery truck, correct?" Havers asked.

"Yes."

"What was your next interaction with your client regarding his ex-wife? Notwithstanding your visits to his daughter's bedside." She asked wishing to skip over that part of the case until she had a different witness on the stand.

"He was going to give his wife at the time one last chance before using the prenup to limit her contact with their daughter. We spoke about this on the phone the day his daughter woke up from her coma. A week later, when Linda Williams hadn't visited her gravely ill daughter in the hospital, he asked his assistant to sit with the young girl and went to New York with papers he had asked me to draw up." Artie looked at Linda Williams and glared at the woman as he said: "She signed the papers and I am guessing without looking as she called my office the next day to scream at myself and my assistant."

"Regarding the custody of young Sarah?" Havers asked.

"No, she didn't even question Robert getting permanent and full custody. No, she called upset that she would not be getting either alimony or a cash payout. She threatened to sue Robert in court to get what as she told me at the time she deserved for being forced to move to the backwater of Connecticut and raise their daughter. Robert had been expecting this to happen and had prepared a counteroffer."

"Which was?" Artie handed the papers to be passed around and said: "In exchange for a half a million dollar buyout to be paid in a years time, she would spend every other weekend with their daughter until such a time as Sarah had healed enough from her accident to be more accepting of her mother leaving."

"What did Linda Williams do?" "She swore that Robert would pay and announced that she worked on weekends as an actress so it was inconvenient to spend that time with her daughter. We offered Monday and Tuesdays instead since most Broadway plays are closed on Monday, she refused again and hired an attorney. We went to court and it was adjudicated that as she was being well paid as an actress, she would not receive alimony but that Robert would pay off any outstanding bills."

"Did this resolve the case?"

"No, Robert wished Linda to keep in at least some form of contact with Sarah as she wasn't healing well from the accident and the doctors all felt that this was the result of her mother being missing from her life."

"What if anything happened?"

"Linda William had been offered a role in Los Angeles and wished to end the case, she offered my client half of her signing bonus for accepting the role if he would agree to drop the case," Artie stated.

"Did your client agree?"

"He dropped the case, told her to keep her money and had her sign away any rights to their daughter," Artie replied. "In front of the hired court stenographer, her attorney, myself, the court moderator and of course Mr. Williams the petitioner signed the paperwork then swore at her ex-husband for what she called trying to derail her career. She claimed that the young child had been a mistake and that as far as she was concerned Sarah no longer existed."

"OBJECTION!"

Harris saw Magnusson stand and shout but when she asked for the reason for the objection, the man clearly was stumbling around for another reason than that the testimony made his client look bad and that it as a legally binding agreement meant his client was not going to win.

"Attorney-client privilege." The man threw out but both he and she knew that it was a joke.

"Overruled," Harris replied and watched from the corner of her eye as the star heatedly whispered something to her lawyer. When he denied her wish, it was rather clear that she had forgotten the incident and was not happy to have it brought out in open court.

Havers sat down and Magnusson stood to question Arthur Harris. He went through the prenuptial agreement and got him to concede that they often contained language where one parent was given legal custody as a convenience but scored no real points to fix the damage being done to his client. He avoided the mountain of evidence regarding the affair, it had no real bearing and both sides knew it; other than to dirty his client's image. He tried to poke at the photos as being altered but the divorce attorney pointed out that there was a video of the event that if he wished they could view in court.

Magnusson hastily moved on and tried to paint his client as emotionally distraught and unable to make sensible choices due to misdiagnosed medical issues. He avoided using the words postpartum depression but made a point to infer that Linda had suffered from it. Harris noted it but was holding off any ruling regarding it until she had done more research into the illness, but was almost certain it was an offered excuse in this case.

Magnusson sat down and Havers called the surgical nurse from the trauma center that treated Sarah. Jessica Grovet testified about the injuries the young girl had suffered, about her long road to recovery, about Robert William and how half the police force had watched over the young girl twenty-four seven but how her mother had never visited.

Magnusson tried to point out that the nurse wasn't on twenty-four hours a day and wouldn't know if Linda had snuck into the hospital but he knew it was a minor victory but thinking on what Linda had told him regarding her ex-husband and his marrying the assistant, he asked "What if anything did Mr. Williams tell his daughter within your hearing regarding her mother's supposed absence?"

"He told her at first that Linda Williams was suffering a cold and that she was being ordered kept away. Eventually, the young girl stopped asking for her mother and pretty much stopped talking at all."

Magnusson asked, "I believe that young Sarah received several presents from her mother at this time, did she not?"

"She was sent presents from quite a few people who felt bad for the child who almost died. The police force, the AMTRAK crew, complete strangers." Jessica replied.

"But there were presents with cards that said they were from Linda, weren't there." Magnusson had to avoid outright lying, but he could imply that the gifts were from the girl's mother, not her ex-lover.

The nurse reluctantly agreed then burst out with "Material gifts are no replacement from spending time with a child who was that horrifically injured. Your client..."

"Your honor, I am done with this witness, please instruct her to exit the witness box." Magnusson felt he had scored a few more points, even if they were minor dents to the overall case against his client.

* * *

The goblins who were in the courtroom, looked at one another then seeing the strange lady who was at the hotel with their queen's mother entering the courtroom with a bag. Keeping an eye on the lady, they heard her speaking to the queen to be's mother and realized that she had brought the woman a present.

When the boss lady on the wooden platform allowed the queen to be's mother to exit, they followed the two women.

Linda was soon changed and as she vented about having to be in small town nowhere, about her ex-husband and the child that was forcing her to be there, the goblins eyes narrowed and with a snap of their fingers, did a bit more damage to the woman who blithely returned to the courtroom.

Linda arrived as a police officer offered up testimony on the accident. She felt a tinge of concern when he described how badly Sarah had been injured, wondering if the girl might have scars that could end up needing plastic surgery. The last thing she wished for was a child who was less than perfect.

As the man went on and on trying to track Robert and herself down to inform them of their daughter's condition, she struggled not to yawn. Lowering her hand to under the table, she snapped her fingers at the assistant and when the girl looked her way leaned over and said: "Pour me a glass of water."

Once the girl had done as directed and making plans to have Maggnie fire the girl once this case was done, Linda lifted her glass to sip the cold water. The water was lukewarm and had a strange taste to it. Wishing she dare spit it out, she gagged a bit as she swallowed instead.

"Linda, try to at least make it look like you are paying attention," Magnusson whispered sharply as he stood to question the officer. He was able to get the officer to acknowledge that there was no way that Linda could have known her daughter would do as she had done. Linda nodded in agreement, how was she to know that that girl would get it into her head to chase after them.

When the police officer exited the stand, she frowned a bit as he had looked a bit familiar but in the end, she dismissed him as unimportant.

Her ex-husband took the stand and Linda was furious by the end of his first answer. He had tried to claim she had knowingly gotten pregnant as if...it had ruined her entire theater career. Nevermind, any chance with the very wealthy producer she had been trying to catch. His version of their life as a put-upon husband who didn't trust her with their child had her angry as he brought up every single measly mistake she had ever made.

Sarah hadn't been hurt by having that old lady watch her. Besides, it wasn't as if the old bag had had anything better to do with her time. As for the time she had 'accidentally' locked Sarah in her room, she had told him then it hadn't been on purpose and yes, Sarah had fallen out of bed, but it wasn't like she had been badly hurt. The leaving the kid in the hotel, she demanded that her lawyer refute that testimony, after all, he had left them first.

She was in a rage as he dared to call her slattern when he described finding her still in her nightgown at noon the day he had her sign their divorce papers. She had still been asleep when he had knocked, what did he expect, that she would get up at nine after closing down the club after a cast party that lasted til dawn?

Her rage felt overwhelming and knowing she needed to calm down before all was lost, Linda blindly reached for the glass of water and drank some, this time spitting it at her attorney as he stood to question her ex-husband.

All turned to stare at her and Linda snapped at the assistant. "What did you do to this water, it tastes like the sewer?"

"Nothing." The woman turned to her boss and said: "I swear, there is nothing wrong with the water."

"Just get her a fresh pitcher, Janet." He ordered then reaching over to grab Linda's arm, whispered "What the hell are you doing? I have been drinking from that same pitcher and it is fine. Now sit your ass down and shut the hell up before you can't get a part in a hemorrhoid commercial."

Linda felt her rage growing but did as directed while the judge suggested that they get on with Robert's questioning.

When Magnusson tried to refute his testimony, she felt better as he pointed out her ex-husband's long hours, how he had made the decision without her to move to Connecticut, how he had left them on Thanksgiving to go to see his boss. When Magnusson made Robert sound cheap for refusing to pay her alimony or a settlement, she took a deep breath when he had no answer to Magnusson's rapidly asked questions.

Feeling a sharp pain, she gasped and felt it again, then fought against swearing as she realized that the underwire in her bra had just poked through and was sticking into her skin. As casually as she dared, she crossed her arms and sliding her hand into the suit she had changed into, she tried to move the wire slightly. A bit of relief later, she was enjoying Magnusson skewering Robert regarding his supposed infidelity.

"Well, we only have your word you weren't sleeping with your former assistant and considering you married the next one..."

A slight smirk came to Linda's face as she saw how red Robert was getting only to have the sharp pain return. Crossing her arms again, she decided to discreetly remove the wire. To her surprise and relief it came out easily and she covered it with her hand as she slid it into her purse never noticing how lopsided her breasts now were in the form fitting suit.

Havers announced she had one remaining witness and Magnusson when questioned said that he only intended to call Linda upon their return, so they were released for lunch with the judge stating that she intended to speak to Sarah as well after lunch and that none of the adults were to have contact with the teenager as she had arranged for a law guardian to be appointed for the girl.

All stood to exit after Havers had found out for Robert that the judge intended to eat lunch with Sarah herself but that they would not directly discuss the petition.

Linda was preparing to meet the press when the judge looked up from where she was leaving and announced that she had arranged for a small repast to be made available for both sides as to protect all sides from the press. Linda wasn't happy, how was she to play the devoted mother struggling to do what was right and to set up for her eventual loss if she couldn't speak to the press. Once in the small chamber and grimacing at the offering from the judge filled with cholesterol and carbs, she complained: "How can I talk to anyone I need to without exiting the building?"

Bronson said that she would see if she could find a reporter for her and thanking her, Linda said "You are the only true friend I have left in the world. What would I do without you?"

Once Bronson left, she looked at Magnusson and rolled her eyes. "What a sap. Still, she is at least useful."

"You might want to avoid those sort of remarks," Magnusson said while looking around the room with a quizzical expression on his face. "This isn't going too good, Linda."

When he kept looking towards the door, she snapped "What is going on?"

"Nothing, I am just looking for Janet. I need her to do a little research for me." He replied. "I wonder what is keeping her?"

"Who cares?" Linda replied as she pressed against him. "As for the case, remember, I want to lose. After all, you yourself told me that child custody cases are sealed in this state. As far as the press is concerned, I am a winner just by being here."

"That is just it if anyone decides to talk...all it takes is TMZ making just the right offer." He said frowning as he thought about the group in the courtroom.

"The attorneys can't because of privilege. Robert won't nor that wifey of his to protect the kid. Why do you think he has stayed silent so far. As for the staff... seriously? I could sue them, the court system and the county, they will keep their mouths shut."

Magnusson wasn't so sure, he was rather worried about this disaster. Looking at his client/mistress standing at the window staring out it with a dissatisfied frown and warned her. "You need to watch your actions in the courtroom, Linda. What were you thinking spitting that water at me?"

"It tasted like feet or warm piss." She snapped then heard the sound of giggling and with a look around while still holding her purse to her chest, asked "What was that? Who is there? Who was laughing at me?"

"What are you talking about?" Magnusson asked while looking at her like she was crazy.

"Someone was laughing, it was sort of high pitched, like..." Linda went silent, as she struggled to remember where she had heard that laugh. It for some reason reminded her of her daughter's bedroom and how Sarah would be playing with her invisible friend.

"You need to calm down, Linda." He said. "There was no laughter, that water tasted perfectly fine and you need to get a grip."

"Sarah! When you get a chance to question the brat, bring up her invisible friends. She was always playing with oddly named invisible friends." Linda ordered. She heard an odd chuckle then what sounded like someone chanting. "How can you not hear that?"

"Hear what?" He asked thinking no matter how nice she looked on his arm and how good it was to be in the paper as her escort, nor how good in bed she was, this wasn't worth the aggravation Magnusson was beginning to realize.

Linda gasped and shouted "Someone named Hoggle peed in my water. Didn't you hear that? I heard them laughing, saying that I was getting what I deserve for lying to their queen."

Magnusson sank into a nearby chair and was simply staring at the woman when she jumped at the sound of someone entering through the door. When Linda swung her purse, he stopped her and saw it was Branson who looked a strange shade of ash white.

"L-linda..." The star struck former B-film actress looked at the woman standing and struggled to tell her the news. "It's all over the news..."

"What is? What is going on?" Magnusson asked.

"You...have to see it for yourself," Bronson replied but before she could explain the bailiff came to remind them they were due back in court in ten minutes.

"Bronson, what is all of your incessant babbling about?" Linda snapped.

"Tara Thompson, she...she, the part, it went to her..." Bronson said avoiding looking at Linda.

"What? What did that has-been do now?" Linda inquired.

"She got the part in the new George Lucas production. She is to play the queen." Bronson replied cringing. She knew all too well how badly Linda had wanted that particular part.

"No, it's not possible. There is no way...she had to be sleeping with someone, there is no possible way that she got my part." Linda went on a rant and Magnusson who normally would have warned her off knew that it was too late. The door had not been closed completely and the shrill sound of Linda's temper tantrum could be heard clearly down past the ladies room.

When the actress began to blame the loss on the exposure of her secret child and claiming that it had to have been Tara who had sold her out, he merely shook his head, wishing he were anywhere but where he was.

To Be Continued


	8. Chapter 8 Liar, Liar Part II

**A/N:** **Thank you to all who have reviewed, to those who sign their reviews as guests. I am always appreciative if someone notices mistakes and notifies me as at least one of my SIGNED reviewers has done. If you don't have the courage to offer criticism signing your name, don't bother, I will ignore you. I have been writing fanfiction now almost ten years and if you were to notice how prolific I am, you would also notice that I have decent vocabulary and grammar skills, not perfect, but if you are a language Nazi, I wouldn't recommend anything that wasn't printed by a real publisher.**

I have been writing Harry Potter fan fiction which tends to bring out real trolls; I am polite enough to acknowledge them once and to warn them off once, but after that, well, hopefully, it won't come to that.

 **So once again thanks to those who have read and who continued to read this story as well as those who have offered storyline reviews. By the way, the Goblin King returns this chapter. This also begins to wrap up the teenage years, we move forward a few years after the next chapter and in that, a meeting between Sarah and the Goblin king.**

**Chapter Seven: Liar Liar, Your pants are on fire.** **Part II**

While things continued in the mortal world, Jareth was continuing his rather massive home, er castle improvement project and working towards preparing his kingdom for its future queen. He had seen the strange behavior of a handful of goblins and that Smee seemed to be in the middle of it, but let it go sure that at some point whatever mischief they were up to would land at his boot steps. He only hoped that they had given up on their plan to cross-breed their chickens with the Fireys. That was not a sight he ever wanted to see or even hear about.

Enjoying a break from his work as he ate his midday meal, he heard grumbling from outside the throne room archway and raised an eyebrow as he realized that that dwarf Hoggle seemed to be arguing with himself about something. "Hogbrain, get in here and stop annoying yourself."

When the dwarf appeared; taking a few steps into the large room, stopped removed his hat and stood there crumpling it as he shook his head. "What is the matter with you?"

"Your majesty..." Hoggle stopped speaking yet again then after arguing with himself for the third time in the King's hearing said: "The goblins are acting rather strange, your majesty."

"Is this supposed to be news. When aren't the goblins acting strange? Come now, Hoggle, you can do better than that. Use that brain I know you have hidden somewhere in there, tell me, how are the goblins acting any different than they do normally?"

Hoggle muttered something under his breath that called into question Jareth's manhood and had the king mightily amused until the dwarf burst out saying "The goblins came to see me around an hour ago and said that they needed something from me for friend Sarah."

Ignoring the friend Sarah bit, for now, he said: "Did you give them what they required?"

"Yes, yes, of course, I did, no matter how foul the deed," Hoggle growled then backed away in fear when he realized he had forgotten himself in front of the king.

"What deed did they ask you to perform, Hogwart?" He asked using Sarah's own mispronunciation of the name as he drank some fresh peach juice from his flask.

"They asked me to pee into a pitcher." Jareth spat out the peach juice and looked at his flask in horror then reminded himself that he had filled his flask straight from the tree this morning. Looking at the dwarf, he asked: "Why would they ask you to do this, lame brain?"

With a small shrug, the dwarf replied. "I haven't any idea, but they immediately left for aboveground."

Jareth stood and called out the names of the goblins he had been loosely observing only for the Spirit of the Labyrinth itself to tell him that they were busy working on a small project for herself and that Sarah was safe at the moment. He couldn't help wishing he could see his future queen himself and to his amazement, one of his crystals materialize and showed him Sarah who seemed to be pacing back and forth and threatening someone with... blinking a moment, certain he had misheard her, he smirked when he realized he hadn't and that she was threatening to have him turn someone into a goblin.

Before he could see any more, the Spirit giggled and said she had to go. Looking at Hoggle, he said: "There was a reason for this request. Now, return to your post."

Jareth sank back down onto his throne, his mind trying to figure out any reason for said request that would trouble him later on and could not find one, so he put it out of his mind and went back to making plans to create the most perfect courtship that the Underground had ever seen.

* * *

Judge Harris looked over her courtroom and sighed as she looked at the combatants awaiting the trial to resume. She had just spent her lunch with a very confused teenager who been rather silent compared to how she had been so talkative during their previous meeting. Sarah Williams had NOT wanted to talk about the court case as they had eaten their lunch of chicken salad croissants and chips.

She had realized that in spite of how ambivalent Sarah Williams was regarding all three of her parents at this point, it was very clear that she adored her little brother. They had been discussing Toby and their dog Merlin up until the Judge had offered to share her fruit with the young lady who had stared at the offered peach as if it were poisoned. When Dora had inquired, Sarah had blushed and said that she had had a bad experience with a peach once and didn't eat them.

She had given Sarah permission to head to the ladies room and when the young lady had returned, she had been even quieter than earlier and had sat down across from the monitor before asking the judge how much longer this would take. She had told the teenager that she hoped to get her out of there by five that evening. Sarah had merely nodded that she heard before she looked out a nearby window and bit her lips clearly avoiding allowing the tears gathering in her eyes to fall.

Judge Harris heard the usual knock from her bailiff on her door and walking past the teenager patted her on the shoulder before returning to the courtroom. Looking at Robert Williams who seemed to be arguing with his attorneys over something before sitting back down in a resigned manner, she could help wondering what was going on, especially since the current wife looked torn between supporting her husband and agreeing with the young Havers woman.

The odd grouping on the other side consisted of the attorney who seemed to be looking around for his assistant and the supposedly caring mother who was red-faced and whispering intently with the woman seated behind her.

"Are we ready to begin? Ms. Havers?"

"Yes, your honor."

"Mr. Magnusson?" Dora Harris glanced in annoyance at his client who had kept her quiet whispering up even after the bailiff had announced court was in session. "You might want to remind your client that we are in session."

She watched as he reached over and shook his client's arm and the mutinous expression on the woman's face before she seemed to change expressions and moods instantly. Once she had everyone's attention, she asked that Havers call her next witness.

When the young attorney breathlessly announced that her next witness was Jeremy Scoldfield, she heard the burst of words from the petitioner as she called the charismatic blond actor now entering the witness stand a bastard.

Harris looked over at the actress and said "One more outburst like that and you will be facing a charge of contempt, madam."

She watched as Magnusson began to whisper yet again to his client and saw the woman visibly struggling with her anger as she was lectured by her attorney. Her eyes now back on the witness in the box, Judge Harris tried to recall how old Jeremy Scoldfield was because he certainly didn't look like a forty-seven-year-old as his records now in front of her claimed. More like barely in his thirties.

She could see the temptation of the handsome and charming actor for the petitioner, but still, that didn't change that she had abandoned her family for the man. Tuning into the questioning as Havers established that Scoldfield was, in fact, the man who Linda Williams had left her husband for, Harris listened as Havers brought out that there had been a previous relationship between the two before her marriage.

"May I inquire as to why you didn't marry Ms. Williams then?" Harris frowned wondering at the line of questioning.

"I never even thought about it," He replied. "We were lovers, not in love."

"When did you reconnect with Ms. Williams?" Havers asked.

"There was a late Thanksgiving party at a mutual friend's place about a year before she left her husband. She showed up and while we didn't reconnect, we did talk for a few minutes. She and I would run into each other early March the following year when I was with an ex-lover, Tara Thompson who Ms. Williams considered a rival." Havers waited for the rest of the story and wasn't disappointed as Jeremy Scoldfield gave them details of how Linda Williams had decided she wished to have him back not out of love but to take him away from her enemy.

"How did this relationship go from revenge sex to true love?" She asked.

"It didn't, at least not on my part. I, uh, I had reached that certain age where actors, if they are straight at least need to start considering marriage if they wish to avoid a certain type of rumor about their sexuality and frankly, Linda was always interesting in bed, plus there was her daughter..."

"Excuse me?" The Judge asked.

Jeremy sighed and said "Linda would frequently leave Sarah with me when she would go to auditions and of course on some matinees afternoons when she would be performing if she didn't have a babysitter. Sarah was an adorable kid who had this wildly vivid imagination. I would listen to her tales of invisible playmates, kings and how she was a princess there."

"To get this back on track, when did you invite Linda Williams to move in with you?" Havers inquired.

"I never did. I did suggest that if she was so unhappy with her marriage that she leave Robert." Jeremy replied. "Once I had realized she had pretty much been moving her personal items in, I didn't put a stop to it as I said, I liked the idea of a family. At least until I realized I was destroying a family."

Havers asked him to explain and he did so. "I went to Connecticut to help Linda move to New York, I thought I was coming to help arrange for the rest of her stuff and Sarah's to join us. I arrived and was soon made aware that Sarah had no idea what was going on. Linda said that she would leave it up to Robert to explain what was happening."

"As our cab pulled away, I remember looking back and seeing Sarah standing there holding hands with the babysitter, that elderly woman from next door. I felt guilty at hell at first, but then I realized that if it hadn't been me, it would have been someone else. I knew that it had been a bad idea and that more than likely Linda would be leaving me as soon as she had someone else to latch onto." Jeremy replied.

"Please tell me about the day that Robert Williams came to get his wife to sign the divorce papers."

Havers asked. Jeremy covered how he had arrived a few minutes after Robert had. What Linda had said about wanting alimony and how she had dismissed the possibility that Sarah had been badly hurt. "She claimed that the child couldn't have been hurt that bad, that Robert was exaggerating. I talked to Linda, tried to get her to go see the girl, but she made it pretty clear that that wasn't going to be happening."

"What did you do?" Havers asked.

"I arranged to send Sarah a present, then signed the card with Linda's name. I did so repeatedly over the last few years, mainly because I knew Linda wouldn't and I still felt intense guilt about being the one who was there when her mother left."

There was silence in the courtroom and the judge was mentally wishing that Sarah hadn't seen or heard that statement while alone in her chambers.

At the attorney's request, Jeremy listed the items he had purchased. "I saw that she had lost her bear which I was able to find a replacement. A series of mythology plays from a used bookstore. A Victorian brush set. Various stuffed animals that seemed from mythology, a few costume pieces over the years, I remember a couple of movies and some jewelry including a garnet ring that I saw at an auction house. It was listed as having been formerly owned by a Princess from a minor house in Europe whose name was Sarah."

"Rather odd behavior for a bachelor to be sending those items to a young girl," Havers stated.

"There was also this bust I saw that reminded me of myself, in case she blamed me for things so that she could smash it if she wished," Jeremy said with a bit of chuckle before it faded as he admitted. "My mother abandoned me when I was a child. I watched her leave because my father wanted a wife but not a child. I saw myself in young Sarah and knew how it affected me. I just didn't want her to feel as if her mother left her completely."

Havers had been filled in on what Jeremy knew about the boarding school situation, but it was mere hearsay, so she wrapped up by questioning him about how Linda had moved out of his loft.

"She waited until I was at work and then moved out." He replied.

"Did you sue Ms. Williams after that to get a return of some of your personal property that she had removed illegally?" Havers asked.

"Yes, she helped herself to a few of my more portable valuables including a vintage Patek Phillip watch and a small Jasper Johns painting." He replied. "I had to take her to court to get them to force her to return them."

"Thank you, Mr. Scoldfield." She said before returning to her seat.

* * *

Magnusson had known a bit of Jeremy Scoldfield's side of the story but had no idea that the man had kept receipts. He had been handed the paperwork by Havers when he had begun testifying and it was clear that his lover had been very arrogant when she had thought that the way to solve her PR problem was to sue for custody. She would be lucky if someone didn't sell the story or that TMZ didn't offer Bronson money to give up what she knew.

Magnusson was eyeing Bronson speculatively, wondering what it would take to get her to keep her trap shut when he heard the judge speaking.

When his client stood, he stood as well and whispered: "You need to sit down."

Awaiting for her to do so, he looked at Jeremy Scoldfield and considered using the line of questioning regarding his interest in a fifteen-year-old girl but after glancing at the actor knew better. Jeremy Scoldfield had some very powerful friends and Magnusson was well aware that if he were to try to dirty the actor up, his career would be over, very, very, quickly.

"Mr. Scoldfield, why are you testifying today? Do you really expect the court to believe that you are here out of the goodness of your heart? That it has nothing to do with my client dumping you and moving to Los Angeles?" The actor's rather elegant shrug had Magnusson saying "I need a verbal answer to the question, sir."

"I am testifying because I have recently become engaged and this is my way of righting a few wrongs before moving on with my life." He replied flicking away some invisible lint off of his well-tailored dark gray suit.

Magnusson hid his envy of the well fitting suit and asked: "So, out of guilt, you flew three thousand miles to testify for the man whose wife you stole?"

"Yes," Jeremy replied.

"As for this fiancee, I have heard nothing of this, surely if you were engaged the press would have the details by now," Magnusson said then waited for Scoldfield to speak. When he didn't, he said: "I need an answer."

"I never heard a question." The blond actor replied.

"If you are engaged, who is your fiancee?"

"I fail to see how this is relevant this case," Jeremy replied.

"I have to say, I agree." The judge replied.

"Move along Mr. Magnusson, if you don't have any questions pertaining to this case, release this witness."

Magnusson had a ton of questions but knew that all of them were a dangerous minefield for his client. He had no way of knowing what the answers were or how badly Linda had mistreated the actor.

* * *

Linda was not happy when her lawyer let that bastard Jeremy go without getting the answers she wanted, but had no choice in the matter as that hard case of a judge clearly was out to get her. When her ex-husband's attorney rested his case, Maggnie stood up and said that they also rested, she quickly stood and demanded to be allowed to testify.

"Are you out of your mind?" Her attorney/lover harshly whispered. "You need to stay off the damn stand. I can't prevent your exes attorney from questioning you."

"Relax, something I think you forget that I am an Oscar-winning actress. I will have that bitch of a judge eating out of my hand by the time I am finished and ready to lynch Robert." She replied.

"You need to think, really think about this, Linda." He said in a resigned tone as he faced that she was going to do this, no matter what he said. Magnusson could no more stop Linda from being sworn in to testify than he could prevent the sun from rising the next day.

When she was seated in the witness box, wiping non-existent tears from her eyes with a small lace hanky, he basically lets her talk about how the press was so invasive into her privacy. He avoided questioning her about the girl, knowing he would be suborning perjury and since he intended to end his relationship as soon as possible and turning her legal issues over to another attorney at his firm, he had no intention of losing his license in Connecticut.

When his client began to tell of her daughter's tales of imaginary friends and how unlike her ex-lover Jeremy, she believed them to be a reason for concern, how she blamed Robert for them, Magnusson was inwardly shaking his head in annoyance.

Quickly letting Linda talk, sitting down and not actually asking questions, he winced as she openly admitted to only marrying Robert because she had ended up pregnant and how she had resented being forced to move to Connecticut that it had had a terrible effect on her career. She confessed to the affair with Jeremy, but in her version, it was all her ex-husband's fault.

She deftly passed on the minefield of the neglect of her child discussed and went on to mention the accident. "I didn't believe Robert, he had always been a drama queen when it came to the kid during our marriage. He used her to control me."

Judge Harris inquired if Magnusson had any other questions and with a look at his paperwork and then at his client, he said in a resigned tone, "No; your honor."

Havers had stood before the judge even announced that she could cross-examine the witness. Magnusson knew that this was going to be a disaster.

"Ms. Williams, would you please tell the courts what role you were starring in when you meet my client?" Havers inquired.

Linda said, "I was part of the cast of the long-running One Evil Act."

"Part of the cast, which part?" Havers inquired. "Lead actress, supporting actress, walk on part, perhaps?"

Linda glared at the woman then said: "I was the understudy for the lead character, Bethel."

"So you weren't exactly the star, were you? Nevermind, don't answer. Now I looked up your career with the Screen Actors Guild and the Stage Actors Union. Until your marriage, how many lead roles on Broadway had you had?"

"Lead, none," Linda replied.

"Supporting, character parts?"

"I was in over eighteen plays at that point, I will have you know," Linda replied. "Plus I had done over fifty commercials."

"Weren't most of those before you turned sixteen as a child actor?" Havers asked. "The commercials, I mean? Local commercials back home in, where was it?"

When Linda didn't answer, Havers asked. "Didn't you grow up in Corning, New York? Didn't your commercials have limited airtime in your local community?"

Linda wished to deny the limited airtime but couldn't. "Yes, they aired in Corning, but I always knew I was meant for greater things."

"You married Robert Williams and according to you, he moved you to Connecticut without your permission when you found out you were pregnant, correct?"

"Yes, I would have stayed in the city. I hated the move from the city." Linda replied.

"Did Robert ever object to your acting after Sarah was born? To clarify, did he complain about your job other than how it affected your child."

"All the time." Linda snapped as she glared at her ex. "He never understood my career. I tried to tell him, that everything I did, I did to be a star."

"Like..." Havers prompted, hoping that Linda would take the bait as it was becoming clear her attorney had given up.

Linda let out a loud put upon sigh and said: "I had to be seen, had to be noticed and that wasn't going to happen raising the kid and living in the middle of nowheresville."

"So, you went to the city, when you could..." Havers prompted.

"Yes, and it wasn't as if he didn't go to the city ever," Linda stated. "He never understood anything about my career. It's just how things are done, sometimes." Linda snapped.

"So committing adultery is just how things are done. What about the affair with Jeremy Scoldfield? How do you explain that away? More of just how things are done?" Havers inquired.

"It is not like Robert cared. He had stopped all intimate contact a couple of years before." Linda snapped.

"Wasn't that when he caught you having an affair with your so-called leading man?" Havers asked.

"So? As for Jeremy, he used me on his way up the ladder to being a star. He used who I was and who I knew to ease his own path." She tossed out. "He came here because..." Linda tried to keep speaking but the words wouldn't come out. Stopping for a moment, she attempted to lie again but it just wouldn't happen, nor could she twist her words as she tried to go another way.

After sputtering yet again, she felt her eyes go wide as to her shock, she began to speak. "...he loathes me. He didn't come here to help the brat, he came because he wanted to knife me in the back after I destroyed his relationship with Tara Thompson."

"How did you do that?" Havers asked.

"I got Jeremy high by slipping a roofie into his drink. I snuck into his bed after undressing him and made it seem as if we had heated up the sheets all night." Linda tried to stop speaking, but it was if she was suddenly being compelled, to tell the truth. "I knew he was rich from his parents. I considered pretending to be pregnant but knew that since I was married, it wasn't a good plan so instead I made it look as if Tessa had gotten rid of his kid like I should have my own brat. I just used what I had planned to say about the kid, but had to give up that plan after everyone learned I was pregnant."

"So, you didn't want Sarah, ever?"

"Hell no. Having that kid ruined my figure, it took months to get back into shape and then I had to have surgery to get rid of the stretch marks. Robert wouldn't even hear of hiring an au pair or a nanny." Havers looked over at Magnusson but the woman's attorney just sat there, his mouth wide open as his client unraveled on the stand.

Without a bit of mercy, Havers asked: "Why are you going for custody now?"

"I had no choice, I couldn't let the press run their stories about how I was a terrible person for abandoning the kid. I came here with no intention of winning and if by some horrible mistake I won, I was planning on shipping her off to boarding school as quickly as possible."

"Why? I mean, at her age, Sarah would..."

"Have you seen the kid? She is fifteen, it's bad enough that the press and the public know I have a kid that old, but to have to have photos of her around where they can be seen. It would kill my career if everyone was constantly reminded that I had a kid that old."

The attorney pulled out the photo of Sarah that Robert had given her earlier that week and showed it to Linda. "How could having a daughter this beautiful be anything but a blessing considering your career in the spotlight?"

Linda looked at the photo and her eyes narrowed in rather obvious jealousy before she replied. "Do you not realize that if the press saw her, they would forget all about me. I am barely holding onto my career by the skin of my teeth and reminding those who need it that I am an award winner. I am forty next year. That is the kiss of death. I will be stuck taking roles playing the mother or the aunt or god forbid, the well-meaning teacher. I refuse to be stuck doing that."

Havers saw Harris hold up her hand and looked at the Judge who asked Magnusson. "Are you sure you don't wish to interrupt this?"

Magnusson shook his head in a weary manner and said: "No, Linda wished to testify, who am I to stop her."

Harris looked at the vane woman on the witness stand and said "Well, I am putting a stop to this. Ms. Williams, please step down from the witness box."

"But-"

"No, it's time to put an end to this farce. Ms. Williams you have admitted having been wasting this court's time and I am done with listening to you as I feel you are suffering from a mental breakdown." Havers heard the disgust in the judge's voice and sank into her chair and awaited Linda Williams exit, stage right.

Sure enough, the actress glared at the judge and went to sit down next to her attorney. Harris banged her gavel and said "I am rendering judgment in this matter immediately. I hereby grant permanent custody to Robert Williams and order Linda Williams to pay court and attorney fees for both sides. Ms. William, you have wasted the court's time in this manner and even worse I regret the damage you have done to a young lady who came to this courthouse today wishing nothing more than to get to know her loving mother. It is rather clear to me that the only person you love is yourself."

Linda leaned over and was urgently whispering in her attorney's ear and the man rolled his eyes and stood to ask "Your honor my client wishes for you to remind all in this courtroom that they are bound by the laws of this state to keep these proceedings to themselves."

Judge Harris looked a the actress and said: "I will tell you this, no one employed by this court will speak of this case nor will the attorneys, but I won't gag your ex-husband, his current wife or your daughter from speaking to the press if they wish to."

Magnusson listened to Linda's complaints and stood to protest the ruling only for the judge to order him to be seated. When Havers stood to announce that Robert was willing to let the gag order stay in effect, Harris sighed and looked at the man she knew was trying to protect his child.

"Mr. Williams, your daughter has been watching these proceedings in my office." She saw him sway for a moment as he realized what this meant and then continued. "Your daughter, clearly this will be a shock to her but I rather think that her hearing the words from her mother, herself instead of reading it in the tabloids or seeing it on television..."

Harris trailed off then continued to speak as she looked at those in her courtroom. "I have never had a custody case as reckless or as self-serving as this one. Ms. Williams I would order you to get help, but you are behind my jurisdiction. Mr. Magnusson, I will be filing a protest with the state bar and hope that they will investigate your part in this disaster."

"As for your daughter, Mr. and Ms. Williams I am sure that, you, Mr. Williams at least care about her," Harris said. "As for you, Ms. Williams, you are being fined for contempt of court and will be facing a five thousand dollar fine."

Linda tried to speak but all that she could say was "That isn't fair."

"I would like to know your basis for comparison." Harris retorted. "Keep it up and it will be ten thousand. Now, if you will excuse me, I do believe I need to go speak to the young woman awaiting me in my chambers."

As she entered her private chambers, Dora Harris saw the angry teenager pacing back and forth clearly agitated at what had been revealed in the courtroom. Closing her door, she asked the young girl "Would you like to hear what I think or tell me what you think?"

The dark haired girl whirled around, her eyes a maelstrom of anger as she snapped "No, I don't wish to tell you what I think. I want to talk to her. Ask her why she lied to me all these years."

"Unfortunately, I don't see your mother agreeing to do this." Dora Harris answered. "I also can't order her to sit and listen to what you have to say. I wish I could but I am not sure what it would accomplish. Your mother..."

Sarah sank into the chair she had been sitting in earlier and said "I am just like her. I wished away my little brother because he was crying too much and I hated being stuck babysitting. Maybe that is what she needs, to be wished away..."

Dora hid her need to chuckle at the idea of wishing away children. She often wished that there was more she could do for the children she saw in her courtroom, children who were little more than pawns in their parent's battles with one another. "Sarah, if wishing away children worked, I would be thrilled..."

"I didn't mean it." She replied softly. "Maybe if my mom had wished me away, she might have realized it too."

Dora sat next to Sarah in her other guest chair and said "It has been a rather unfortunate side effect of my job, but I have come to realize that some people aren't meant to be parents. I am rather afraid your mother is one of them."

Sarah was still angry but now that the events of the day had started to sink in, she was also devastated at the thought her mother didn't love her and that her father had covered all of this up for years. Frowning at that thought, she asked: "Why did my dad lie to me?"

"To protect you. He meant well, but when you started to grow up, his lying did more damage by allowing you to convince yourself that your mom still loved you."

Sarah had to process the entire statement before she understood what the judge was saying but once she did, she winced as she realized how foolish she had been regarding her mother. "I still wish I could confront her," Sarah said.

"For what purpose, Sarah?" The judge inquired. "Do you think if she were face to face with you, she would answer the questions any differently?"

Sarah looked at the judge and said: "No, I guess I just wanted to..."

"To yell at her, to tell her what a bad mom she is. Sarah, Linda Williams would only care about how she looks in the press, nothing more. Her career is her all." Dora Harris replied. "I have seen fathers who are more concerned about their careers or their free time than raising their children. Mothers who react the same way."

"Why have kids then?" Sarah asked.

Reaching out to give comfort, Dora Harris said: "I truly think that in the beginning, your mother was sure she could have it all but when things didn't work out that way...well your father and you were what she felt was standing in the way of a career as a movie star."

"We were after all she has been acting in movies and stuff since she left," Sarah admitted sadly.

"Yes, but your mother admitted in court that she gained what she got by using her lovers to get it. As for that Oscar, it's all politics. Now, I do have a request to speak to you from Jeremy Scoldfield are you willing to speak to him?"

Sarah thought about it then said "Yes but not today. I just want to go home and call my friends. I need them."

"Of course." Dora Harris went to her doorway and asked the bailiff waiting outside to escort Sarah to her father then handed the teenager the number that had been passed along to her from the blond actor. "Sarah, I am going to recommend talking to someone about your feelings."

Sarah smiled a bittersweet smile as she looked at the judge and said "Something I learned recently, life isn't fair. I will talk to my friends they will help me get through this. That and well, just knowing that Toby still needs me."

Dora Harris watched the teenager leave and be reunited with her father then closing the door to her chambers was about to settle behind her desk to get caught up on her paperwork when she heard voices coming from the camera in her courtroom.

When she saw that it was Linda Williams being confronted by her attorney for her stupidity in allowing herself to be tricked into testifying, she chuckled as the actress admitted that she didn't know what had made her do such a thing. Her witness and so called friend was slowly exiting the courtroom and it was rather clear that she wished to be as far away from Linda as possible.

Dora heard the so called talented actress complaining about losing and was rather curious as to why she was so upset when she hadn't wanted her daughter in the first place. At least until she realized that the actress wasn't upset about the court case but about losing a part to another actress. Shaking her head, Dora shut off the camera and television and sat down to write up her paperwork for the last few days.

Coming to the file regarding the Anderson twins and how the parents had locked them into their room so that they could go to a nightclub for the evening had her shaking her head in disgust. Those two and a myriad of other children who passed through her courtroom could use a place that would take them when they were wished away by unfeeling and uncaring parents. Too bad, wishing them away didn't work.

* * *

Sarah was quiet on the trip home and when her father followed her to her bedroom, she silently hugged him then said "I am okay, I just need to absorb that Mom isn't who I thought she was. Why? Why do this?"

Robert hugged his little girl and tried to find a way to answer that didn't put Linda in an even worse light but nothing came to him. "What do you say to pizza for dinner, huh?"

"Dad, pizza can't solve all my problems, no matter how much I like it." She said with a slight watery laugh as she wiped away the tears gathering in her eyes. "I just w-wish, you have told me the truth, but I guess it wouldn't have worked, would it have?"

"I know you don't like Irene, but you should know, that she felt that telling you the truth would make things worse after we got married."

Sarah grimaced at that news then said: "I might not have accepted it, not when you seemed to replace me so quickly."

Robert tightly hugged his daughter and said "I wasn't trying to replace you. We never wanted you to feel like that. Toby was an unexpected surprise and one I can never regret."

"I know and I love him too, but at the time, it felt as if you wanted to get rid of all reminders of the time before Irene came into your life and to me, that meant me too." She confessed.

"I gave Irene carte blanch to remodel the house because I knew that asking her to live in the house I had once lived in with another woman was wrong. She, bless her, never complained but pretty much everyone I work with and socialize with said that I was wrong to not consider moving."

"Why didn't you?" Sarah asked then the answer dawned on her. "Me. You didn't move because of me."

"Yes. We were upending your life so much, that Irene and I thought that moving away from here would be difficult." Robert admitted.

Sarah sighed and returning her dad's hug admitted "I am glad we didn't move but dad, this house doesn't remind me of mom. It reminds me of you and I and the times we have had. It's why I resented Irene so much when you first got married, she wasn't taking away memories of mom and me, but you and I."

Pressing a kiss to the top of her head, her father said "No one, and I mean no one will ever be able to do that. You, my little muppet mean too much to me to ever allow anyone to do that. Now, if we want pizza we should probably order it now because my guess is that at some point the press is going to show up and stalk our house."

"Chicken and pineapple?" She asked with a disgusted look on her face.

"Well, for Irene, how about an extra large with double meats for you and myself." He replied. "No mushrooms or anchovies."

"Don't forget the plain cheese sticks for Toby," Sarah called out as her father went to the front hallway to order their dinner. Irene was waiting at the bottom of the stairs and hugged Robert before telling him that she had placed Toby in the playpen and was going to get dinner started.

"I was thinking pizza," Robert said.

"Just this once, you know you are supposed to be on a diet." Irene reminded him with a knowing smile as she went to prepare a salad to go with their less than healthy meal.

Sarah was quiet during dinner other than playing with Toby and after speaking to her father about her mother's ex-lover Jeremy, made plans to talk to the actor the next afternoon. Returning to her room, she sat down in front of her mirror and quietly called out for Hoggle.

When the dwarf appeared, Sarah let her anger and sadness show as she poured her heart out to her friend. After telling him about her day, she asked "Hoggle, how could I be so blind about my mom not loving me?"

The dwarf wasn't sure what to say about Linda Williams so he did what he could to comfort her by coming through the mirror as he announced "Sarah, maybe she does, maybe she doesn't but you know, you are loved by more people than you know. Look at all of us in the Underground, everyone who knows you loves you."

Sarah said "Not everyone, Hoggle."

"Well, maybe not the fireys." He admitted.

"The goblin king surely doesn't like me too much either after I destroyed the path to the Goblin city." She replied with a regretful sigh.

"Sarah it is already repaired. As for the rat, well, he is part of everyone you know." He muttered in reply.

"Now I know you are telling tall tales." She said with a slight giggle at the idea of the Goblin king loving her like she wished. No, not ever happening. "Still, I almost wish he would listen to me. I would wish my mom away to his kingdom and make her run the labyrinth, who knows she might come to love someone other than herself." Hoggle felt the small tug that meant he had to return to the underground and groaned as he realized that the Labyrinth had heard Sarah's words and was going to honor them.

"Sarah, you need to be careful what you say in front of this mirror. Words have meaning, remember?"

"Yes, but Hoggle, my mother isn't a child, she can't actually be wished away." She said with a smile as her friend went back through the mirror in a hurry.

* * *

Jareth felt the tug of the wish and when he went to answer the call wearing his armor was a bit surprised to end up at the stone wall entrance to the Labyrinth.

Finding an older woman who he knew to be Linda Williams, he was about to speak when she began to screech at him. "Jeremy, I don't know what kind of game you are playing, but this is idiotic. Where am I and how did you get me here? Did you drug me? And what are you wearing, you look like a transvestite dominatrix."

The name Jeremy caught his attention as it rang a vague bell with the Goblin king, but her attempt to slap him had him grabbing her wrist tightly and announcing "I suggest that you learn to keep your hands to yourself, madam. Now, tell me how you ended up in my Labyrinth before I toss you in an oubliette."

"As if you don't know who I am, seriously, Jeremy what sort of game are we playing." She stated and then rolling her eyes said "Okay, well let's play. I don't know how the fuck I ended up here."

Her physical resemblance to Sarah caught his attention and the arrival of Hoggle completed the picture just as he realized that the spirit of the Labyrinth was trying to speak to him. Holding up his hand to silence the dwarf and when she wouldn't shut up, used magic to temporary silence the shrill woman, Jareth was given a quick update from the spirit as to what was going on.

A cruel grin appearing on his face, he looked at the woman who had hurt his Sarah and said "You have thirteen hours to run the Labyrinth and get to the Castle beyond the goblin city or you will be stuck here forever as one of my subjects. If you succeed I will give you your deepest darkest wishes. If you choose to give up, now, and avoid wasting my time, I will permit you to return you to your world in the very moment you left it."

Linda looked around and said "Impressive set, who did you borrow it from? Spielberg? Coppola? Lucas?"

Jareth looked at Hoggle and said, "Linda Williams, you have two choices, it is now time for you to choose."

Hoggle went to pick up his sprayer to go to work dealing with the fairies while Linda Williams sputtered in complaint when Jareth disappeared in a puff of glittery smoke.

"You, hey you." Linda came over and grabbed his arm. "I was talking to you."

"I have a name," Hoggle replied.

"Yeah, yeah, I heard. Hogbrain."

"It's Hoggle." He muttered.

"You. It was you!" She shouted as she grabbed Hoggle by the throat. "What did you do to my water? How much did Jeremy pay you to urinate in my water?"

"I don't know no Jeremy. As for the water, I did as the Goblins requested and the king ordered." He choked out a reply.

Jareth reappeared and using a crystal had the woman releasing his subject. "Looks like you are choosing to run the labyrinth. Rule number one, no assaulting my subjects. Rule number two, no ordering or blackmailing them to help you. Rule number three, Anything you destroy, you will be fixing before you return aboveground and oh, rule number four if you give up at any time, it is the same as if you didn't reach the castle and become one of my subjects."

"No, no, I wish to return home." She hastily replied.

"That choice is no longer available, you should have made it before abusing my subjects. I would suggest you begin running, you now only have twelve hours and forty-five minutes." Jareth replied before disappearing again.

Linda was going to ignore his orders then looking in horror at the dwarf, realized she didn't see any proof that it was wearing a costume. Positive she was having a nightmare, Linda was going to just sit down and wait until she woke up, but before she could, she was attacked by a swarm of the pesky little bugs that the small creature had been trying to kill.

When she began shouting for help, it merely stood there, leaning against the stone wall, watching patiently. "HELP ME! Dammit, I order you to help me."

"Nope, in fact, this is one of those times when I am rather grateful that those nasty little buggers don't listen to anyone but themselves." Hoggle replied with a chuckle as the swarm surrounded the woman trying to fight them off and working together reached for her extremities and flew her over the ten foot stone wall and dropped her from the top.

He heard the loud thud and the murderous threats against the fairies as they all landed on the top of the wall and gathered together pointing at the woman who now had sting marks all over her hands, legs, ears and even her nose from them.

Hoggle looked towards the lead fairy who bowed to him and then flew closer to his ear. "To uphold the honor of our future queen."

Hoggle bowed back, snickering as he heard the woman now beating her hands against the wall trying to find her way out of the Labyrinth. With a loud whistle, he went through to the secondary path to make a visit to Sir Didymus, certain that the small knight would wish to be of service to their future queen.

To Be Continued


	9. Chapter 9 The Maze Runner

**A/N: Sorry for the delay but real life intervened. Hopefully, I can get back to writing a bit more.**

 **Chapter Eight:** **The Maze Runner**

Linda Williams banged her hands against the dusty stone wall, shouting for that ugly big nosed creature on the other side to help her. When she finally fell to her knees, completely exhausted from trying to get help, she heard the sound of tiny giggles. Looking up, she sneered at the sight of the small winged pests and snarled "When I get out of here, I am going to wipe you off the face of this place."

She saw the winged gnats do what looked like a mass shrug then two of them flew closer but stayed just out of reach. "Well, I really think that you are wrong about that, Esmeralda. Surely if she was who you believed her to be, she would be as kind as our future Queen."

The winged pest stated. The smaller one looked at Linda and the actress strained to hear what she was saying "Well, I heard Tibble telling Smee that she was the mother of our kind princess. I must have been wrong."

"No, no, she is mortal. With mortals, well we know about the wishers which might explain why our kind princess is nothing like her mother." With that, the two creatures flew off towards the large castle in the distance, with the rest of the horde following after they each thumbed their noses at the disheveled woman on the ground.

Linda wasn't sure that she had heard everything correctly but maybe she could use what she believed to get help. It sounded as if the creatures for some reason thought she was the mother of their Queen. Standing, grimacing as she realized she had broken a heel on her Christian Louboutin pumps. The three-inch heel was now embedded in a small crack in the stone. Removing them from her feet, she shuddered as she realized she was going to have to walk barefooted until she found someone to fix them. Vowing to make Jeremy pay for this humiliation, she muttered yet another threat against all who had hurt her.

Heading down the path, she never noticed that the walls around her changed, repeatedly until she found herself back where she had started. Staring in horror at the broken heel still stuck in the ground, she hastily reached down for it then let it go, after all, it at least marked the spot. If it wasn't there, she would have no way of knowing she had gone in a complete circle. Walking off, she went left instead of right as she came to a corner and just missed seeing a goblin appear and remove the sharply pointed broken off heel and disappear back down a tunnel path under a pavement stone.

Fifteen minutes later she came around the corner again, breathing a sigh of relief when in spite of how familiar looking the stone corridor was, that there was no heel.

* * *

While Linda was getting her just desserts, Hoggle and the Fairies were spreading the word about how the bad mother of their future queen was being forced to run the labyrinth after hurting her. Creatures, noble and common all came out to play which amused the spirit who in turn felt the magic of the maze growing.

While she was accepting of the High King and it's councils meddling in her world, she had decided that it was time to assert her own power and return her gift of magic that had been taken without her consent from Sarah. As the bubbling stream of magic grew deeper and deeper, she snapped her fingers and allowed the overflow to cross the pathway created through the mirror in Sarah's bedroom as the young girl cried herself to sleep.

With a light laugh, she went to join in on the games being played throughout the Labyrinth with the unpleasant mortal woman who now only had twelve more hours to complete her task.

* * *

After two annoying long hours of seemingly endless identical paths, Linda saw something different and shouted yes as she hurried forward, stubbing her toe for what felt like the hundredth time. Looking at the odd markings on the stone, she muttered: "Well, what does this have to do with anything."

"You must play the game to move forward."

Linda heard the voice but didn't see anyone. "Show yourself."

"Open your eyes. Only by truly looking within yourself are you able to see what is in front of you." The voice replied.

Linda frowned and said, "Just tell me what to do."

"You must play the game to move forward, as I told you before."

"How do I play the game?" She snapped.

"Well, fairly would work best." The voice replied.

"No, what are the directions on how to play this game." She snarled.

"As I have said, you must play fairly and make the right choice when the time is right." The voice answered. "The stones that fit in most of the indentations are at your feet."

Linda muttered as she knelt down and reached for the various stones she could now see had distinct shapes. Grasping a handful, she stood and began placing them in the correct spots all the while making threats against her enemies. When there was only one spot left without a stone, she reached around on the ground only to find no stones left. "There is a stone missing."

"There is always a stone missing." The voice replied. "The answer to this riddle is when the stone appears."

"What riddle?" She demanded.

"You must play fairly. You were generously given most of the pieces, now you must use something of your own for the last piece. You will find the answer on your person."

Linda looked at the last indentation and tried to fit various innocuous items from the heel from her left shoe to the belt from her skirt. Nothing worked. Getting desperate, she pressed her diamond ring in the small space, a gift she had convinced her lover at the time to purchase after receiving her award. It proved to be too big, but of similar shape. Thinking about it, she finally realized that one of the small diamond earrings she was wearing would work. Removing it from her left ear lobe, she shouted yes when it fit perfectly in the space. To her right, the stones separated and she could see bricks on the opposite wall.

Popping her earring back out of the space, she went to move forward but was unable to do so as the wall disappeared. Banging against it, she cursed and shouted before whirling around and demanding "What happened to the opening?"

"You were told that you had to play fairly. You cannot take back what you gave. Reciprocity is a requirement." The voice chided her. "Greed will not help you on the path to the castle."

Linda felt her blood pressure rise as the invisible voice dared to lecture her. "These are earrings worth over twenty thousand dollars, those stones you offered to play with are worthless."

"Worthless are they?" The voice replied then to her surprise, the stones dropped out of the evenly marked spots and back onto the ground.

When Linda bent down to retrieve them, knowing she needed to place them in the puzzle, the voice chuckled as they disappeared. "Hey, bring those back." She ordered. "I need them to get through the wall."

"I thought that they were worthless to you?" The voice taunted.

Furious and vowing to make Jeremy pay for the hundredth time that evening, Linda opened her fist that contained her left earring and put it back into the correct spot. "Fine, you win."

The stones returned, but only to the ground. Linda looked down in disbelief, it had taken what seemed like forever to put them in the correct spots. "I need them in their spots."

"Then I suggest you place them there."

Linda was muttering death threats and snarling that when she got through to the end of the maze, she was going to report him for theft and make him pay for what he had done to her as she eventually went through the opening in the wall.

The small blue worm shook his head and went to speak to his wife. "Well, that one is never going to learn her lesson. Such a shame."

* * *

Jareth observed his subjects heading for the Labyrinth and could feel the surplus magic emanating from the spirit within. Using a crystal, he looked in on the runner and was a bit surprised at how dirty, disheveled and splotchy she looked. No other runner had ever looked that bad only three and a half hours in, in the history of his time as ruler. Clearly, Linda Williams had none of her daughter's sense of adventure or her charm which had won his subjects over during her time in the maze.

Looking at the upcoming task that Linda Williams was about to face, he breathed a sigh of relief as surely not even she could fail this one. Ludo would never let that happen.

Linda could smell something ahead, so holding her nose moved forward wondering what fresh hell could possibly be awaiting her. As she turned the corner into this now brick maze, she saw what looked like a walking orange carpet. When the thing, whatever it was saw her, it roared loudly making her doubt that it could be of any help to her. Moving closer, she could see that it's paw(?), arm(?) had some sort of thorn sticking out of it.

"You there, creature. What way is the castle?" She asked.

The thing ignored her and went back to trying to pull out the thorn from its arm. "Hey, I am talking to you. How do I get to castle?"

"Ludo hurts, Ludo in pain." The thing replied.

"Yes, yes, I see, I have my own problems and they are more important than a mere thorn in an arm. Now, how do I get to the castle?" Linda said ignoring the newest roar from the creature.

When it paid her no mind, in spite of her repeated demands for information, she walked off, leaving the orange colored carpet where it was. Ludo shook his horned head as friend Sarah's mother walked away. Clearly, his brother was correct, friend Sarah's mother was a bad, bad mother. Feeling a small hand pulling out the thorn he looked at Hoggle who was eyeing the path which the older woman had taken. "Princess mother bad."

"Yes, Ludo, she is," Hoggle replied as he watched and hoped Linda Williams took a left at the next corner. Sir Didymus had been shocked beyond all belief at what they had seen and heard from the woman on her path as she had tried to repeatedly cheat her way to the castle. For the tiny knight, the idea of not engaging in fair play was practically treasonous and after he had planned to go to confront the woman, the Spirit of the Labyrinth had prevented him from participating in this runner's race. She was worried that the knight might by accident reveal exactly who he was talking about when he mentioned their future queen or current princess to Linda Williams.

The woman in question finally saw what had to be sentient beings. There were two guard looking creatures who when she got closer she was disgusted to see weren't normal. Instead, they had no bodies, merely two heads and torsos as if they were animated playing cards. When she was standing in front of them, they began to speak and she was soon confused as they told her the riddle she had to solve and the names that their future queen had named them.

She didn't care about their names, all she wanted to know was how they had to get past them through the door behind them. Linda had considered trying to use their confusion regarding their future queen, but she was tired, more than done with dealing with this nonsense. Finally deciding that they were exaggerating about the danger after all so far the only danger she had faced had been created by the creatures of this world, she randomly chose a door and entered.

Before she could react, she fell and landed into a dark small cave.

* * *

When Jareth looked in on Linda Williams again, he saw that she was even worse off than she had been during his last glimpse. Sarah's mother was stuck in an oubliette and was seated on the ground, her shirt sleeves were shredded to bits at the elbows. The actress was shouting for help, threatening certain death to everyone and anyone she had ever meet from the sounds of it.

With a bit of an annoyed sigh, he looked at the clock on the wall. Less than nine hours to go and while he hated to do it, he knew he had to send Hoggle to "rescue" her and take her back to the beginning of the labyrinth.

Linda almost cried when that annoying little dwarf creature appeared. He ignored her demands and told her to follow him. When she realized he wasn't taking her to the castle, when instead she found herself back at the beginning of the maze, at the spot where the fairy creatures had dumped her, she screamed in frustration. When she had gained enough control to deal with the traitorous little shit, to her surprise, he was no longer waiting. "DWARF! DWARF, you bastard, get back here. Get back here, and help me!"

Sitting down on the ground, Linda kicked the wall, shrieked loudly and called out for help.

"Do you give up?" Linda looked up and grimaced when she saw the Jeremy look alike standing there wearing a leather outfit and heels. She was about to make a snide comment when he repeated his question. Ignoring him, she waited expecting him to apologize. "Do you give up? You have two choices, either run the Labyrinth or give up?"

Linda didn't know what game Jeremy was playing but she was more than willing to agree to give up. Her back ached, her legs and arms were scratched all to hell, her hair and nails would never be the same and frankly, she had seen no one else but him who had been familiar to herself. Still, a bit concerned about being taped and having all of this being shown via a VCR or film projector, she asked: "No one will know?"

"No one cares, Linda." He pointed out, disgusted with the woman.

"What about your earlier offer?" She asked. When he didn't seem to wish to remember, she said with arched eyebrows and a smirk. "Something about giving me my dreams?"

"Only if you gave up immediately and never ran the Labyrinth or arrived at the castle. Neither of which happened." Jareth pointed out. "So, do you officially agree to give up on running the Labyrinth?"

"Look, at you, acting all official, as if this wasn't some sort of elaborate setup," Linda replied with a slight chuckle to her tired tone. "I don't know what game you thought you were playing with me, but I assure you, Jeremy, you will regret this. As soon as I am off this set, I fully intend to make you pay and pay dearly for this and for your lies in court."

When the blond smirked and crossed his arms and leaned against the nearby wall, Linda felt a small shiver of lust go through her as she was reminded of how much she had enjoyed bedding the rather narcissist actor.

"I need the words."

"Okay, okay. I officially give up on running this, uh, what did you call it? Labyrinth?" She sneered all the while planning on getting back into Jeremy's bed and after scratching this renewed lust, dumping him as punishment. "Fine."

With that, Jareth created a crystal ball and with a nod, sent her back above. A slowly growing smirk came to his face as he created a second crystal to watch as Linda Williams was arrested for trespassing. He had returned her above to the exact spot she had been when brought below. The court room. The courtroom in the empty municipal building, well empty except for the security guard.

Jareth let out a low chuckle as the disheveled woman was arrested and handcuffed.

When she tried to say that she had no idea how she had ended up where she was at two in the morning, in spite of being found with the files from her case, when she tried to claim to have been elsewhere then tried to put the blame on Jeremy Scoldfield, the local police were called. Officer Weirton called his supervisor and within minutes, Detective Maddox arrived at the now lit up courthouse.

By dawn, Linda Williams had everyone convinced the blond actress was off her rocker. When her own attorney, after a quick visit to inform her that he quit agreed to have her held on a seventy-two hour hold at the local mental facility, Maddox made sure to have Judge Harris sign off on it, then accidentally just happened to discuss it in front of the still in town reporters from Extra and Inside Edition.

Inside Edition had run a breaking news exclusive story that very evening telling the story about how Linda Williams had abandoned her young daughter when she had needed her most, how she had left her then husband without even the courtesy of a face to face discussion. They had the story of how things had gone in the courtroom from Linda's very own best friend in the world. Of course only after they had offered her a finder's fee, but she had taken it and had spilled the beans on all that had gone down in court.

Now, they had an even better story to run, how Linda Williams had been arrested in the very courtroom where she had been embarrassed that afternoon. The clearly disheveled actress was telling a very outlandish tale of how her former lover had somehow kidnapped her, put her in the middle of some sort of maze with various animals who had supposedly attacked her.

This in spite of the very public and live interview Jeremy Scoldield had given with his fiance Tara Thompson that evening. Linda was found with the file from her custody case in her hands and with no good explanation of how she had gotten inside and why she had been there in the middle of the night. When she had been carted off in an ambulance, they were told by her attorney that she had had a mental breakdown as a result of what had happened in court.

* * *

Sarah woke up the next morning regretful that she had wasted so much time on her mother. Arriving downstairs, she saw her father was still there which was unusual. When he asked to speak to her in his office, she sighed but followed him silently.

Robert Williams gently explained about her mother having a nervous breakdown. "She is claiming that Jeremy had her kidnapped and forced to run some sort of maze."

Hiding her reaction to that news, wondering if somehow her mother had landed in the Labyrinth, Sarah who had completely forgotten her wish, shook her head, telling herself that it was nothing more than a coincidence.

"The reporters are sticking around town as a result, so be careful when you go out today." Her father said as he gathered his briefcase and placed a couple of files inside. Finding the parchment scroll, he opened it and recalled having read it the night before, asked "By the way, I had a rather old fashioned offer of a betrothal for you. Anything you wish to tell me?"

With that question, he chuckled and hit her gently on the top of the head with the rolled scroll and said "Seriously, Sarah. While I appreciate a good laugh as well as the next guy, you are a little young for this one to be believable."

Sarah took the offered scroll, wondering what on earth her father was talking about. Hearing him speaking to Irene at the front door as he exited, she was beginning to unroll the scroll when her stepmother entered the office.

"I have to run to the store this morning, would you please watch Toby?"

"Yes, fine," Sarah said in a distracted tone. Hearing Irene mentioning that Toby was in the playpen, she was heading to the family room when the phone rang.

"Don't answer it unless you recognize the number," Irene warned. "The press has been calling all morning. I only put the phone back on the hook a few minutes ago."

"I will," Sarah replied then waited for the ringing to stop. After a moment's hesitation, she took the small crumpled piece of paper with Jeremy Scoldfield's number out of her pocket and pressed the buttons.

"Yes?"

"Uh, hi, uh, this is Sarah. Sarah Williams." She said as she fidgeted with the scroll still in her hands. "I was told you wished to speak to me."

"Would you mind if I stopped over?" He inquired well aware of the way the press would react and wanting to make sure she was okay with the way that it would play in the press. Sarah considered her options, clearly meeting him at the park was out, she debated meeting him someplace in public but with the press still in town, she knew that wasn't a good idea.

Finally, she replied "Yes, but could it be this morning. I don't wish to speak in front of my stepmother."

Jeremy seemed to be thinking about it then told her "I can be over to the house in about ten minutes. Will that do?" "Yes, fine." Sarah hung up the phone, picked up her brother and carried him with her to her room so that she could change out of her pajamas. Five minutes later, she returned to the family room, dressed in a pair of jeans and a button up white shirt undone over a white spaghetti strap tank shirt. She was tying her laces when she heard the sound of shouting and then the ding dong of the doorbell.

Grimacing when she saw the reporters snapping photos as Jeremy came in, Sarah invited him into the family room. "This is Toby." She said pointing to the little boy playing with the stuffed bear in his playpen.

"And he is holding the famous Lancelot, at least if my memory is correct," Jeremy replied as he moved closer to the padded baby cell. Seeing her wincing, he awkwardly suggested that they sit down.

She hastily offered some iced tea and went to get them both glasses, more to stall the conversation than out of actual thirst or propriety as a hostess. Sarah waited until he had sat down in the armchair closest to the sofa then sat down in the middle of the comfortable seat. Looking at Jeremy, unsure of what to say, she waited for him to speak while handing him the tall cold glass of tea.

"First of all, let me say, I am sorry that this has been so public, for your sake." He said then looking over at Toby, he added: "I am also sorry that I was the one your mother..."

Sarah hastily interrupted him and admitted something that hurt but that she had come to face the night before. "You are right, if it hadn't been you, it would have been someone else. Mom, well, she never wanted to be my mother. I heard what was said in the courtroom."

Jeremy looked over at the little boy then back at Sarah. "Your accident..."

"Also not your fault," Sarah said looking down at her hands which had reached out for her own glass of tea for something to hold. "I should say, thank you, but it is just so awkward, knowing you were the one who sent me those gifts over the years. I mean... I wanted to believe that it was proof that my mom still loved me, still wished to... well, you know."

"No thanks are necessary," Jeremy replied with a slight smile on his face. "You know, when I met you, I was a rather selfish, self-centered man, convinced I was pretty close to perfect. You ruined that for me."

Seeing her confusion as she looked up into his eyes, he chuckled then said "You would tell me these tales you invented of Goblin playmates, of a king who made you a princess. How you stormed the castle and my favorite how one day you would marry a handsome king who would make you a queen."

Sarah frowned, a bit confused because she had not read the Labyrinth by the time he was talking about and yet, his story was oddly familiar, like a dream that had been forgotten. "I don't remember."

Jeremy placed his drink on the coffee table in front of him, then folded his hands together and leaning back into the chair said "When you described your king, blond hair, blue eyes, tall and thin, I was so sure that you had used me as the basis for your dream man. I was teasing you and told you that there was no one more handsome than I and you told me that I didn't even compare."

Sarah felt that strange sense of Deja Vous grow even deeper and was taking a more thorough look at Jeremy as she realized he did sort of resemble Jareth, the Goblin King. Maybe it had all been a dream, she thought feeling a bit disappointed by that thought.

"Really?" She weakly asked, unsure of what else to say at this point so she raised her glass to drink some of the unwanted sweet tea.

"Yes, the funny thing is that your story of your king was very detailed. You described staircases that went nowhere, it's why I sent you the Escher Print, creatures that didn't exist, stinky bogs that let out fart noises. I remember you used to giggle when discussing that part of your world. But the part that crushed my ego was when you said your dream king had much better hair and that yes, one of his eyes was blue but that the other one was black."

Sarah felt her jaw drop, her hands were no longer holding the glass that had crashed to the carpet spilling the tea as black spots appeared in front of her eyes. When she felt strong hands pushing her head down between her knees and a voice telling her to breathe in then a few seconds later to breathe out, Sarah struggled determined not to faint. After a few minutes, her breathing no longer ragged and the carpet now clearly seen, Sarah, choked out "I am fine."

Gently helping Sarah sit up, Jeremy stood, went to the kitchen to gather cleaning supplies and returned to wipe up the tea. Sarah was too numb to help, her mind showing her long forgotten memories that were flooding her brain with very vivid images of goblin and kingly playmates.

When the handsome actor returned from the kitchen, Sarah looked at him, then unthinkable said: "You know, you do look a lot like him." "Who?" Jeremy asked. Suddenly reminded that her mother had been locked up after her adventure the night before and almost certain that Linda Williams HAD been to the Underground, she weakly answered. "My imaginary playmate."

Jeremy sat down on the sofa, then reached out to grasp Sarah's hand. "You mean, he wasn't real?"

Sarah gave a short chuckle that unfortunately had little mirth to it as she really, really didn't want to end up in a rubber room next to her mother as she lied to him.

"Uh, no. Goblins? Kings who are going to make me a queen? Not likely!" Jeremy laughed and said

"Oh, I think you would make a wonderful queen. I am quite certain that Prince William wouldn't mind an older woman."

"He's six or something, " Sarah said hotly as she glared at the actor.

"There, now that is the Sarah I know." He replied with a return of his world famous grin. "Tough as nails on top and a marshmallow underneath."

Sarah sighed then asked, "Jeremy, what is going to happen to my mother?"

"I am not sure and to be honest, I can't allow myself to care." He gently answered. "Sarah, your mother has a habit of using people until they are no longer useful and then she screws them over on her way out the door. Your father, you and myself are just a few of those she has mistreated over the years. Don't let her drag you into her drama."

Sarah was feeling guilty about her mom being locked up, knowing that she more than likely HAD seen and done what she had told the authorities.

"Now, before I leave, I have something else I have to give to you. I was going to give it to Robert, but after hearing your question, I can't help thinking you might need to read it."

Sarah took the long manila envelope and asked: "What is this."

"The dossier my fiance had a private investigator research as a way of apologizing for her part in your childhood." Jeremy stood, then patted Sarah on the back and said: "I should head out before the press creates some sort of torrid tale to explain my being here like you are my daughter or even worse that I am now chasing after you."

Sarah looked up in disbelief, then without thinking said: "But you're old enough to be my father, I mean, you're in like your forties or something."

"Kid, the damage you do to my ego isn't funny." He said then after a moment's hesitation and a look over at the little boy in the playpen added "You have a good family, enjoy it and don't let your mother drag you back into her mess. Read the file, Sarah."

Sarah walked Jeremy to the door then returned to the family room. Picking up his tea glass, she carried it to the kitchen and was washing it out when she heard her stepmother arriving back from the store. A quick talk in which Sarah mentioned the visit from Jeremy, she said that she was going to her room then went to lift the thick manila envelope from the coffee table to take with her.

Locking her door, Sarah sank onto her bed, her mind reeling from all she had learned from Jeremy, at the strange memories that showed her having spent time in the Underground as a child and then there was the thick envelope that gave her a sense of foreboding.

As Sarah sat on her bed, struggling to deal with what she was reading in the dossier, she had no idea that her life was about to change. That her regaining her memories would put things in motion that would have her spending her next three years growing, learning and more importantly, accepting that life wasn't always fair...

TBC


	10. Chapter 10: A Higher Authority

A/N: There is a jump in time of almost three years here as we rejoin the story with Sarah about to graduate high school. We learn what has been going on in the interim and that sets up her return to the Labyrinth. Also, please review so that I may know if anyone is still reading this story. Thank you.

Chapter Nine

Sarah woke up early and stretching, grimaced when she saw the mess in her bedroom. All around it were piles of clothes, stacks of books, totes with items going to the local thrift store, a different pile of things for Toby, some that her stepmother was insisting she keep as remembrances of her time in school and then there were the random piles of things still needed to be sorted out into the definitive piles. Hearing the sound of Toby running down the hallway, she had barely opened her door when the four and half-year-old whirlwind rushed inside and jumped onto her bed.

"Is it today?"

"Yes, it is today, now go get dressed." She ordered then went to shower and dress.

Today was her class trip to the local amusement park and she had invited her little brother along. Toby was the only person she could imagine spending time with, mainly because she was still reeling from the mess her mother had created of her life three years previously. Linda Williams had spent the time in and out of rehab as a result of her "nervous breakdown" but it was the aftermath that had turned Sarah's ability to forgive the woman completely off.

Sarah was brushing her hair when she sat down on the bench in front of her vanity, her mind going to the past and the visit she had made to see her mother.

" _Mother." Sarah looked at the woman wearing silk pajamas and holding court in her hospital room. She had come to see Linda, expecting to find her drugged up at the very least or in a straight jacket. Instead, it was as if her mother was merely visiting the hospital instead of a patient in a lock down section._

" _Oh, it's you."_

The disinterested voice of the woman on the bed had Sarah wishing that she could just turn around and exit, but too many people would be questioning her about her visit for her to be able to do that as those in the room quickly exited leaving mother and daughter alone for the first time in years.

" _I uh, I wasn't sure...well I am not really sure why I am here." Sarah stuttered through this opening sentence. "How are you, I mean, what do the doctors say is wrong with you?"_

" _I am fine like I told them. Jeremy Scoldfield set me up to make me look like I am crazy out of revenge for my leaving him. I knew that that fiance he was talking about was fake. YOU just wait, when I leave here, I am going to make him pay and pay dearly."_

 _Sarah listened as her mother vented about all that Jeremy had done to her and the only part that Sarah felt any regret about after listening to her tale was Hoggle peeing in her water pitcher. "Mom..."_

" _Don't call me that. Call me Linda." The older woman interrupted her to demand. "Heaven knows, I can't keep anyone from finding out about you now, but you don't have to keep reminding them that you are my daughter, do you?"_

" _Have they told you when you can leave?" Sarah asked, wishing nothing more than to get the story of her mother off the front page of the local paper._

" _No, can you believe that they are demanding that in order for me to be able to leave, I must be under the care of a mental health worker. That traitor Maggnie abandoned me, but not everyone has. A good friend has arranged for a stay at the Betty Ford clinic in Colorado. I am going to take a little rest, just until the horrible comments in the press die down. Though, you know, you are partly at fault for that, I don't know why you would lie to them like you did."_

" _I didn't lie." Sarah tersely replied. After repeated requests for an interview, her father had arranged for a reporter he knew in New York to speak to Sarah so that they could get the worst of the paparazzi to leave them alone._

" _Well, what would you call telling them what you did," Linda asked in a cold tone. "I was there, I took you to the city, exposed you to cultural events, introduced you to some of the biggest producers in town when you were a mere child. It's not my fault that they weren't interested in you."_

" _Mom, I wasn't even old enough to read when you left." Sarah pointed out. "I had no interest in that world as for culture. You exposed me to your acting in plays, nothing more. In the interview you gave, you stated that you took me to museums, operas, symphonies and the such. You never did that. In fact, it was Jeremy when you would leave me with him that took me to the zoo."_

" _That isn't true. I distinctly remember a visit to the Central Park Zoo. There was a photo in the Daily News of us there."_

" _JEREMY took me that day and you were late meeting us by four hours. You met us there and insisted we leave within minutes of your arrival because YOU said it smelled. You also lied to the reporter at the time, saying you had spent the entire morning with me visiting the animals at the zoo. Kept claiming I loved the penguins. In truth, I hate the damn things."_ _Sarah shook her head and then told the woman. "I wish you well, just do me a favor, don't bother to keep in touch when you are back home."_

" _How dare you treat me this way, after all, I gave up for you." Linda shrieked._

 _Sarah scoffed and walked out the door, ignoring the demands for Sarah to come back and then the shrieks telling her to keep her mouth shut and then came the warnings that if she betrayed her mother, Linda would make her pay._

Sarah looked around her messy room, thinking that had been the last time she had spoken to her mother face to face. There had been a few telephone calls over the years, during which Linda had played the loving mother and that to Sarah's disgust she had realized had been taped by the actress then redubbed and played for the way too forgiving press.

Linda had gone to rehab, while there her house had been robbed and torched by the thieves and all had been forgiven. At least it hadn't been forgotten. Sarah, to her shock, had been turned into the bad guy for not giving her mother a second chance. Sarah had expected to have a bad time at school with the knowledge her mother had had a nervous breakdown. She had been right and when later Linda had been nominated for an Emmy for her role as a drug addict on trial in a top rated television show, her classmates had isolated her even more for being a supposed bitch to her star of a mother.

Toby and to her surprise Irene had been the two who had become her closest confidants. Her father was still her dad, but Sarah felt odd venting to him about things.

Jeremy and his wife Tara had also become closer with Sarah. They had purchased a house in nearby Westchester County in the Hudson River Valley in New York State. Sarah had actually gone to visit for the odd weekend here and there. Tara had gone with Irene and her when she had picked out her prom gown and both had been there the night of her prom after Sarah's date had abandoned her in the restaurant after a reporter who had been following them had taken photos and shouted questions.

Poor Larry, who had only asked her when his long time girlfriend had dumped him for the star football player had not been expecting to have to deal with that and had run away abandoning Sarah and not even paying the bill.

The three ladies had gone into New York City and had spent the weekend having beauty treatments. Sarah had even learned that Irene was pregnant that weekend before her father had been told. When Irene had suffered a miscarriage, Sarah had mourned the loss of the child as much as Irene had.

Hearing Toby calling her name, Sarah called out. "I'm coming, Toby. Just hold your horses."

"But Sarah, I don't have any horses." The literally minded boy replied from where he stood in the entrance to her doorway. "Maybe I could wish for some?"

Groaning, Sarah reminded herself of yet the other reason the last three years had sort of sucked. Toby and the goblins, who gave the little bugger every dang thing he wished for until she had realized what was going on and demanded that it come to an end from her biggest pain in her rear. Jareth... The blankety-blank annoying, horrible, no good double-crossing, way-too-literal, wish-making, dream interrupting, fantastically too good looking for his own good, arrogant, tight pant wearing, goblin king with the horrible blond mullet of a hairdo who kept showing up just when she wished to be alone the most.

"SARAH!" Coming back to earth at the sound of Toby's whining her name, she glared at her little brother then picked him up, carrying him upside down as she walked down the hallway to where Irene was fixing her dad's tie.

"Sarah put your brother right side up," Robert said with a chuckle as his son's face turned red. "What did he do now?"

"Nothing, nothing more than existing." She replied while carrying Toby over to the large bed and tossing him on it. "Someone is getting impatient and demanding that we leave in spite of the park not opening up for another three hours."

"Now, Toby." Irene chided her son who buried his head in the pillows on the bed. "We told you to let Sarah sleep in this morning."

"But Mom-" Toby protested her statement. "You don't understand. I answer to a higher authority when it comes to Sarah."

"Well, that higher authority will just have to wait. Now get downstairs and put on your shoes." Irene replied then when they heard the thuds of Toby going down the stairs, looked at Sarah and asked "Have you managed to find out who this so called higher authority is? I am beginning to find this latest game a bit annoying."

Sarah sighed, knowing that she could never explain to Irene exactly what Toby was up to and that Jareth denied being part of, so instead, she just replied. "When I do find out who it is that is guiding Toby into annoying me so much, revenge will be had. Dark revenge involving ant hills and honey."

Irene chuckled and Robert handed Sarah some funds for their day at the amusement park. When she protested this, pointing out she was paid well at her job working at the consignment shop, he reasonably stated that it was his job as her dad to spoil her and her brother. "Fine, fine but when Toby comes home with a stomach ache..."

She trailed off on the threat at the evil glare coming from Irene. "Okay, okay, no extra bags of cotton candy or candied apples or even bubble gum ice cream."

"Have fun you two," Robert said pressing a kiss to his wife's cheek as he went to his breakfast meeting. Irene went down to deal with her son while Sarah muttered dark threats against the missing goblin king and her missing in action underground friends who were avoiding her for some reason.

* * *

Jareth tossed the crystal away, chuckling as he eavesdropped on Sarah's conversation with Toby. All was prepared for the day a week hence when Sarah graduated high school. He had spent the last three years preparing his castle for his plans to woo himself a wonderful queen. He had prepared all of the accepted fae rituals, had studied all of the human rituals, even if he didn't understand the purpose of them all, there were a few that he looked forward to. Still, it had been a long wait...  
made all the longer by Sarah regaining her memories of her time visiting the underground.

He grinned and winced at the same time as he recalled that first trip back to the underground.

 _Jareth was feeling restless as he wandered his lower gardens. He had done all he could and now could only wait for the work to be finished, but even with magic some of the work to be done to the castle would take at least several months._ _Arriving at the edge of the fruit trees, he had just bit into one of the fresh pit free cherries and was reaching for another when he heard a familiar sounding voice asking. "How could you?"_

 _Shocked, Jareth turned and stood there, unable to move, unable to believe his eyes as they took in his beloved. Sarah was wearing mortal clothes, the denim pants that mortals loved so much, a white shirt over another white shirt and her hair was tied back in a strange looking arrangement._

" _Well, I want an explanation." She stated as she glared at the fae king._

 _Jareth was shocked, he had not expected her to be upset at his sending her mother through the Labyrinth, after all, she had been the one to wish for it._

 _"Your mother..."_

" _I know about that and I don't care, though, why Hoggle peed in her water is something I really would love explained." She stated then folding her arms and leaning against the tree, she said "I meant, why did you not tell me that I was here as a child. Did my mom wish me away? Is that why I spent so much time here."_

" _No." He answered then it hit him what she had said. With a growing smile, he asked. "Do you remember your time in the castle?"_

" _A bit, including an odd memory of a naked woman."_

 _Jareth groaned, of course, she would remember that._

 _"So, who was she, your mistress?"_

" _No, merely a woman wishing for a child, though in her case, not because she had any great need to be a mother, but because her husband and her in-laws were eager for one." He replied. Seeing her eyes widening, he hastily added. "She came here, trying to trick me into giving her one. I sent her away and in fact, she is why you lost your memories."_

" _What do you mean?" Sarah asked as she watched him eating a few more orbs of the clearly juicy fruit._

" _She saw you and went her husband, who told the High King who as required by the council and the laws governing our lands removed your memories until you were old enough to decide if you wish to live here."_ _When Sarah started to respond, he quickly stopped her. "Don't say anything, yet."_

" _But the answer will always be the same." She was going to speak but found it impossible to do so. "Stop that, Goblin King."_

" _I am doing nothing, that is the work of the Spirit of the Labyrinth. Until you reach your age of maturity, you are unable to answer as per our laws." He answered with a half truth, knowing that if she was aware of the whole truth, he would be in serious danger of at the very least a very loud and bombastic response that might turn painfully physical._

" _Why didn't you tell me when I came to get Toby back?" She queried._

" _I couldn't, any more than I can tell you how you came to be spending time here, expect to say that it had nothing to do with you being wished away as a child." Jareth had a thought and asked, "How did you get here now?"_

" _I don't know. I tried to call Hoggle, but that cowardly little menace to fairies, yelped when I asked him if he had known then rushed off." She said fondly. "I wished to speak to you and next thing I knew, I was standing over by the doorway to the castle kitchens and that I could see you wandering around out here."_

" _Just like before." He murmured. Seeing her looking at him, he said with a smirk on his face "Seems like you must have wanted to speak to me very badly."_

" _Oh, I did. I wanted answers, now that I know I won't get them, I think I will go and visit my friends. Now that I know I can." She replied then went to walk away._

" _Here, I thought I was one of your friends." He said in a lilting tone that was half teasing, half serious._

" _I was speaking of Sir Didymus, Ludo, the Blue Worm, maybe my old friend Smee and his pal Tribble, even that traitor Hoggle. Why would I spend time with you knowing it would give you power over me." She asked as she walked closer to him._ _Reaching out, she poked him in the chest, trying to ignore that he was a grown man and that she found him attractive. "Besides, friends don't give each other drugged up fruit."_

" _Then shouldn't you be mad at Hogsbreath too?" He asked with a raised eyebrow as he pulled down another cherry and bit into it. "After all, it was he who actually gave it to you. I just gave it to him."_

 _Sarah's eyes were tracing his hands and Jareth saw how they had turned to a slightly darker green when she had moved in close to him. Holding out his hand, he called a peach to him and said "Hungry?"_

" _Very funny." She tersely replied then when he made the peach disappear and pulled down yet another cherry reached out and stole it, popping it between her lips and biting into it._

 _When he heard her moaning in pleasure, he fought his very strong instincts to claim her and instead leaned over until he was next to her left ear. "Are you sure you should have done that? Poaching preserves from my trees is a crime, punishable by being bogged."_

" _I will take my chances, after all, I know that you would never drug yourself." Sarah reached out, squeezed his muscle and scoffed. "It's rather clear that you aren't up to bogging me, at least not just yet, Jareth. Now if you will excuse me, I have some friends to track down."_

 _Sarah was walking away and Jareth let out a low chuckle, clearly, his beloved had forgotten the Persephone rule. Still, that would take years to kick in, but if she wished to play games, he would pay a visit to one of his subjects._ _This particular subject might still be a little young, but he would begin to acclimate young Toby to himself and the goblins now, who knows, maybe he would be a helpful partner when the time came._

" _Oh, Sarah."_

When the dark haired beauty turned around to look at him, he asked. "How is Toby doing?"

" _He is fine, stay away from my brother, Jareth. After all, you have no power over me and mine." She said._

" _Sarah, I believe I have no power over you, you didn't say the right words regarding Toby, so while I can't bring him back here, there is nothing to say that I can't visit him nor that I can't send the Goblins to play with one of their favorite playmates."_

 _She had glared at him then had rushed out of the gardens on the path to the Goblin city and Jareth had moved towards the throne room in his castle. He had quickly sent a few of the Goblins to watch over and to be seen by the young boy, knowing it would get back to Sarah and that she would quickly pay him yet another visit._

So their game had begun. Jareth pressing his luck, Sarah popping into the Underground to annoy him and visit her friends. Over the last few years, they had spoken at least once a week and Jareth had used that time to learn her likes and her dislikes and had found himself amused to realize just how much they had in common.

Sarah had come to yell at him when Toby had begun walking and when he had begun speaking. When he had begun to grant the toddler's wishes, she had shown up breathing fire that would impress a dragon until he had reluctantly agreed to only grant wishes she approved of. From her visits, Jareth had gained knowledge of the Aboveground and how Sarah's life was going in it.

When she had mentioned regret at being unable to visit as much as she was planning on getting a job, he had 'helped' her find one at the store that sold antique and used items, knowing that it was something she would enjoy but that would give her the free time to spend with her friends and himself. When she had expressed an interest in learning about the Underground, he had arranged for her to find just the right book in the store.

Over the last nine months, he had even gone aboveground after getting permission from the High King to spend time with his betrothed. He had met her parents while under a glamour, even if Robert and Irene Williams had no idea that he was intending on courting their daughter nor that he was even acquainted with as something more than a customer.

He had also paid a few visits to Linda, the actress now taking drugs to convince herself that she was sane. Jareth had no intention of letting her terrible to callous treatment of Sarah go. First had come the time spent in the care of the doctors, then had been the house fire that had destroyed her material possessions. Now she had achieved her greatest dream, he was going to show the world, exactly who Linda Williams was.

 _He had at first planned to be more overt in dealing with the woman, but he had come realize during the earlier years in New York, that Linda Williams was her own worst enemy. So he put the plans into play and was leaving them to be executed at such a time as the woman herself set into motion._

* * *

Sarah and Toby had had a wonderful and tiring day riding the various thrill rides and playing the games at the amusement park and were preparing to leave when she noticed the annoying grouping of girls waiting at the gates for something, most likely their rides home. Hoping that they would leave Toby and herself alone, but knowing that Rebekah was the leader of the bullies, she sighed and was considering returning for the one last ride on the Ferris Wheel that Toby wished for.

Hearing her name being mentioned and the sneering tone, she was only hoping to get by without having to get too nasty since her brother was with her when she heard a rather familiar chattering sound that she associated with the goblins. When Rebekah turned to her most loyal follower, a girl named Holly, Sarah quietly whispered: "I wish to get to my car without Toby being upset."

To her surprise, Sarah heard one of the goblins giggle and say "The Queenie wished, so let's get 'em."

Before she could even blink, the four girls standing under the arch were shouting and running away in separate directions, all covered in the green slime that was a staple of the amusement park. The mechanical pail overheard righted itself just as the park attendants and various members of her graduating class all came running at the sound of the shrieks.

Toby was giggling and Sarah couldn't resist sniping at Rebekah who had been her lead tormentor for the last three years. "How does it feel to have been slimed?"

"I am going to sue this place!" Rebekah was shouting as she tried to wipe the slime off her face. When she realized how big her audience was and that there were people taking photos, she buried her face in her hands.

Sarah walked around her while holding Toby's hand and to her amusement noticed the sign on the nearby wall, thinking nice touch. The sign announced not to stand beneath the arch, it was all in legal speak but it essentially warned anyone doing so of random chances of being slimed. Once Toby was in the backseat of her car, she was talking to him about their day watching as the four girls were escorted from the park by its security guards. Noticing them getting into a newly arriving car, she was driving off the lot when Holly flipped her off with her middle finger.

Sarah was about to return the gesture when she noticed her brother's eyes upon her and merely waved gaily at the vehicle in the lane next to her as she drove home. She had turned on the radio and Toby and she was singing along to the music when the DJ announced that the previous song was Who Wants to Live Forever by Queen as she was driving past the park.

The words that the goblins had used came to her and she quickly pulled over into a parking spot right next to the park. Getting Toby and herself out of the vehicle, her mind searching its memories, she started to put together various other odd statements that the goblins had made over the last few years.

Queen? Why did the Goblins call her queen or queenie? Sinking onto the park bench, watching over Toby as he played on the wooden playground equipment, she knew that she had to make a visit to the Underground, because she really, really was certain that there was something going on that she had missed.

Something big... Something big that had the small rather loyal but dimwitted creatures believing for some reason that she was their queen. Maybe when she ran the Labyrinth? Or maybe... Confused and yet knowing she needed answers, Sarah gathered her brother and was hurrying home when she noticed the officer writing down her licenses plate, clearly preparing to give her a parking ticket.

Groaning as she realized that she had been so bewildered that she had forgotten to put a quarter in the meter, she walked up to the officer and in a resigned manner held out her hand for the ticket. "I'm sorry. I forgot."

"Sarah? Sarah Williams?"

Looking up at the older officer, Sarah knew him from someplace. "Sorry, you might not remember me. I am Detective Maddox. I was there the day of your accident."

She was helping Toby into the back seat and once he was belting himself in, turned in surprise. "I remember you, but I thought you wore street clothes now."

"Once a month, each officer in the department as part of a community policing program work on foot patrol. You, you must be close to eighteen now." He said then looking at the car, closed the book instead of writing the ticket. "I am happy to see you are doing so well."

"I uh, I graduate from high school this week. I work at that new shop on Holmes street. I am going to school in the fall, in Dublin." She replied, then with a guilty look at her car said "I am still getting used to owning a car. Until last month, my dad and stepmother insisted on my using hers when she didn't need it. Sorry about this."

"No ticket, this time but be a bit more careful young lady." He said with a stern look on his face.

Sarah was about to get into her car then after a moment's hesitation added "Detective Maddox, thank you. For, well for what you did back then."

Maddox watched her drive away, proud to see that the young girl he had long watched over was now successfully on the path to adulthood. Returning home that evening, he lifted his own little girl, told his wife about his day and said: "Hopefully our Sarah turns out half as well."

That evening, after spending time with her parents as Toby told them about their day at the amusement park and how Sarah had stopped to let him play at the large city park, Sarah told her parents she was going to walk then went back to the park. Finding a quiet spot and wishing herself to the castle, she landed in the library, one of her more favorite spots in the entire building.

Looking around and not finding Jareth, she sighed and was about to exit when she noticed the odd looking bear on a nearby shelf. Moving closer, picking it up and noticing how much it resembled Lancelot, she frowned, wondering why Jareth had a bear identical to hers in his castle. Hearing the distant sound of a clock ringing out that it was now seven in the evening, she returned the odd bear to the shelf and was heading towards the door when she heard strange voices.

Almost human voices; the first time she had ever heard anyone other than Jareth who sounded human or well, rather a fae. Seeing the beautiful woman whose hand was caressing Jareth's arm, had Sarah backing away, confused as to why the sight of a woman with her friend was so upsetting. Returning to the library, Sarah began pacing back and forth, muttering quietly to herself that of course, Jareth had a girlfriend, after all, he was a grown man, not a boy in spite of how often he acted less mature than she did.

Thinking on some of their past conversations and how he had often evaded answering any of her questions about his own life other than the most general questions about himself or the Underground, Sarah felt a sense of disquiet and hurt as she tried to wrap her mind around the idea of what she had seen. Hearing the voices and now footsteps in the stone corridor, Sarah heard a rather officious voice asking Jareth about his betrothed and courtship and all she wanted was to escape.

Without a second thought, she was back in the park and seated upon a large rock. Burying her face into the palms of her hands, Sarah struggled to breathe as she began to understand that her feelings for Jareth were way more complicated than she had ever wanted to admit. That some part of her liked him as more than just a friend, that some part of her was interested in him as a man, well male.

Noticing that it was growing darker, Sarah walked home and upon arriving noticed how quiet things were. There was a light on in her father's office and she could see that Irene was in the kitchen on the phone talking to someone. Heading up the stairs, she found Toby was fast asleep in his bed so heading to her room, she sank onto the padded bench in front of her mirror and looked around her room. With a half hearted sigh, she began going through the nearest pile of unsorted clothes, trying to regain her excitement at the idea of heading to Dublin in a month, as she faced that her bruised heart would need to accept that Jareth only saw her as a friend.

* * *

In the Underground, Jareth was looking in askance at the complicated list that Oberon and Titania and the court scribe had left with him. On it was the rules that he had to obey in regards to his courtship of Sarah. They were fairly simple in the beginning, but once she accepted his offering of a life together, that would become a bit more intricate.

Things such as the correct order for announcing their courtship, their official betrothal announcement, the official betrothal tea, then ball, finally a party for the women of the fae, one for the male fae, an official viewing of his subjects, invites to the various kingdoms and that wasn't including the actual wedding. Shaking his head in amusement as he read that there was even an official allotted amount of time for a wedding trip that had to last at least 21 days and Jareth was finding himself wondering about spontaneity and how he was supposed to fit in the various courtship rituals into this list.

Still, that wasn't the worse of it. He had to make two wishes before his actual wedding day and the High Queen had reminded him that she had a small quest for him as well. Leaning back in his chair, he looked up at the bookshelf and saw that Sarah's stuffed bear had been moved and shook his head in amusement. Clearly, Smee had been in the library again. In spite of being able to actually see Sarah, the small goblin still liked to visit with the small brown talisman.

Creating a crystal and looking into it, Jareth sighed, there were seven more days before he could begin his official courtship of his beloved and he was finding that his natural impatience was urging him to start now. Wandering his empty castle, Jareth ended up in his bedroom. Changing out of his official court clothes and into something more comfortable, he stretched out on his bed and stared out a nearby window.

Closing his eyes, his mind on Sarah, he drifted off to sleep, never hearing the soft giggles of the young goblins who were gathered in his throne room. If he had only known the havoc they were going to cause...

* * *

Sarah eventually went to bed, her mind full of unsettling thoughts as she thought about the phone call from Tara and Jeremy inviting her to stay with them while Jeremy was in England making his latest spy film. She had been considering staying home and working for the summer until it was time to leave for school at the end of July, but with her facing what was in her heart for the first time, Sarah just wanted to escape what she was sure was going to be a broken heart. If only she knew that there were other forces in play...

* * *

The High King looked at his wife, confused as to why she was giggling. In all the years of their marriage, he had never heard her giggle nor the rather strange look of glee on her face.

When he questioned her about it, she merely said: "I am doing my best to ensure that all will be well."

"My dear?"

She pressed a kiss to his lips then easing so that she was curled up against her beloved husband, announced "Jareth and his Sarah need some time my dear. She is still so very young. I am just making sure that she has time to mature and that he realizes that material goods and crowns aren't the way to win the lady in question's heart."

The High King was not sure he wanted to know what his wife was up to as he was forcefully reminded of their courtship and how he had failed so miserably at winning her heart early on, how it had taken time spent together and lowering his guard to win her. "I hope you know what you are doing..."

She merely smiled and pulled his head down for a kiss. "I married you after you stopped being such an arrogant and prideful dunce, didn't I?"

 **To Be Continued...**


End file.
